death’s-head hawk-moth. 135 
mens of the perfect ■ insect are still regarded by 
collectors as a desirable acquisition. The cater- 
pillars are usually full gro^vn about the middle of 
August, when they bury themselves in the earth 
and form an oval cell in which they imdergo 
their destined changes. Tire moth seldom appears 
before the end of September ; it conceals itself in 
some obscure place during the day, and appears 
on the wing only in the morning and evening 
tmlight. In the southern parts of England, a 
considerable number of specimens are found annu- 
ally ; and although it becomes yarer in the north, it 
has been observed not imfrequently both in the 
north of England and in Scotland. In the latter 
country we have seen examples from Ayrshire, 
Perthshire, the vicinity of Jedburgh, and Mid- 
lothian, and have heard of their occurrence in 
many other places. 
Over foreign lands the Death’s-head Hawk-moth 
has a wide range of distribution. It occurs in con- 
siderable abundance in all the southern countries of 
Europe, in the two extremities of Africa, and in 
the Isle of Fmnoe. In the latter country, according 
to St. Pierre, a belief prievails that the dust cast fi'ora 
its wings, in fljing through an apartment, produces 
blindness if it happen to fall upon the eyes. 
'The great size of this creature, its remarkable 
appearance, the “ grim feature” stamped upon its 
thorax, together with the power it possesses of 
emitting a plaintive and mournful cry, have con- 
spired to render it an object of alarm to the 
