138 death’s-head hawk-moth. 
The celebrated JI. Iliiber, and some other na- 
turalists, afifirm that this insect is in the habit of 
entering the hives of the common domestic bee, 
where it takes np its abode for a time, and regales 
itself on the honey. That it should be attracted by 
the smell of the honey, and even enter the hive in 
search of it, might have been expected from die 
predilection which most lepidopterous insects show 
for that kind of food ; but it is not easy to under- 
stand how a creature without offensive weapons, 
and unprotected by any hard covering, can either 
resist or survive the attacks of so many armed 
assailants. This difficulty is increased when we 
consider the result of one of M. Hiiber s experi- 
ments : on introducing a Death’s-head moth into a 
box where a colony of humble bees ( Bombtis Mus- 
corum ) had established themselves, it was imme- 
diately attacked, and so severely stung that it died 
shortly after ; yet the sting of this insect is by no 
means so formidable as that of the honey bee. 
There is very litde probability in M. Huber’s con- 
jectm'e, that the hostility of this irritable race may 
be disarmed by the stridulous sound emitted by die 
moth, wliich he supposes may possibly have an 
effect similar to that produced by the queen. In 
this countiy the moth is never likely to become so 
plentiful as to occasion much damage ; ^t any rate, 
an effectual remedy may be easily applied, by cover- 
ing the opening into the hive ivith a wre grating, 
having the apertures of such a size as to admit no 
larger object than the proper inmates. 
