Infects XXIII. Vol IV* No. 



BUTTE RFLIES. 



17. T h € Sphinx 



The Sphinx or Hawk* Moths, of which at pre* 

 fen t 1Ó5 fpecies are known, are the fécond Clafs 

 of Butterflies. Their wings are longer than thofe 

 of the day butterflies and are de flexed when the 

 infect is at reft. Their body is alfo flronger and 

 their antennae are thick in the middle and fome- 

 what tapering towards the point. It is only at 

 day break and during twilight that they flutter 

 about to fuck with their Inout the honey juice 

 of flowers continually hum min g and foariug in 

 the air. During day time they reft quietly and 

 inactif on trees and walls. 



The caterpillars of this Clafs are large, beau- 

 tifully pencilled, and provided with a kind of 

 horn upon the tail. 



Their transformation happens generally in 

 the earth, where tlie black or brown Chryfalis 

 remains the whole winter. In the following 

 fpring the Butterfly appears. 



In the annexed picture we are made acquain- 

 ted with two beautiful fpecies of this Clafs along 

 with their caterpillars and Chryfalis in their na- 

 tural fize. 



Fig. 1. The Dea tli -Head. 

 (Sphinx Alropos. ) 



The Death - Head is tlie 1 ärgert fpecies 



of this Clafs ; it occurs in many parts of Ger- 

 many, but is properly a native of Africa and Ame- 

 rica ; it is only known in Europe fince tlie in- 

 troduction of potatoes; and the blue and yellow - 

 ftriped caterpillars (£) delight to fearch for their 



or Hawk- Mot h s. 



nourishment on the potatoe-herb where they 

 generally are found in Au gufi: and September, 

 though they fometimes are alfo met with ori 

 Jasmin and Carrots. 



They change into the red brown Chryfa- 

 lis CO which pa lies the winter under ground. 



This Butterfly was in former times a fright- 

 ful animal to common people. The yellowish 

 drawing on its breaft was generally taken for a 

 Death -head; its -fluttering about in the middle 

 of the night, and its noify humming, together 

 with the plaintif tune which the rubbing of its 

 hard breaft- shields produces, were fu Scient rest- 

 ions to make people believe, that this innoxious 

 infect was the harbinger of illnefs and misfor- 

 tune and the fore -runner of plague, war, and 

 famine. Indeed a ridiculous fable ! 



Fig. 2. Tlie eyed Hawk- Moth.. 



( Sphinx ocellata. ) 



The Caterpillar (y) is yellow green, mar- 

 ked by a quantity of white firipes dispofed in 

 a tra n s ver f e direction. It is frequently found on 

 willows and lime-trees, on alders,, oaks and 

 beeches from which it is ealììy shaken off. 



The Caterpillar changes under ground, int© 

 a black Chryfalis (c). 



The fuperior wings" of this Butterfly (a) are 

 marbled with red and grey, and edged in a famous 

 form. The inferior wings are of a pink colour, 

 marked with, eyes of blue and black. 



