Infects. 



TWO KINDS OF SPHINX OR HAWK - MOTHS. 



Fig. l. The great Oleander Sphinx. 

 ( Spidnx Nerii. ) 



A he great Oleander - Sphinx which is here repre- 

 fented in its natural fuse, is undoubtedly one of 

 the moft beautiful Hawk - Moths, we are acquain- 

 ted with. Its colour confifts of dark green, red- 

 dish, white and violet ftripes and fpots which 

 are variegated like marble in a moft elegant 

 jn anner, . 



The green » yellow caterpillar ÇA) is alfó 

 beautifully pencilled with white fpots and ftri- 

 .pes,- its neck is ornamented with eyes of blue and 

 white. It lives as far as we know, only on the 

 leaves of the common Rofe - bay or Oleander, a 

 shrub of 6 or Q feet high, which grows wild in 

 the Eaft Indies , but in Germany only thrives in 

 hot houfes ; on thefe shrubs fometimes in very 

 hot fummers this caterpillar is found and eftee- 

 med as a great curiofity ; the Sphinx produced 

 from it is purchafed at a high price by the ama- 

 teurs and reckoned to be a true ornament of 

 their collections. 



The great Ghryfalis ÇB). which is of a light 

 brown and yellow colour lies without being co- 

 vered with any web or texture under ground. 



Fig. 2. The fpotted Elephant 

 Sphinx. 

 (Sphinx Euphorbiae.) 



The Caterpillar Ça) is frequently met with in 

 July and Auguft on the gromwell - leaved fpurge 

 [Euphorbia Efula) on which alone it lives Its 

 principal colour is black; on the back runs a red 

 liripe, and the Fides are marked with white fpots 

 in regular rows. 



The Caterpillar as well as the Ghryfalis and 

 the Sphinx itself are drawn after life in the an- 

 nexed picture. Soon after its birth the _ caterpillar ' 

 fpins itself into a fine web under a loofe ground 

 and changes into the Ghryfalis (b ) wich is of a 

 grey - brown colour. 



The Chryfalis remains the whole winter in 

 its husk and it is only in the following fpring 

 that the variegated Sphinx (c) iffues. Its upper 

 wings are of a yellow and daik olivaiter colour 

 edged with a white border, the lower wings ate 

 pink -coloured , changing into black towards thé 

 root. 



In the month of June the fpotted Elephant 

 Sphinx is found during twilight about the honey 

 fuckle and other shrubs in flower. Fluttering it 

 fucks with its fnout the juice of the flowers, and 

 this is the time when it i« moft eafily caught, 



