166 HUMMING-BIRD IIAIVK MOTH. 
vibration of the nings is so rapid as to occasion a 
considerable humming noise, whence it has been 
termed the Humming-bird Hawk-moth. The fol- 
lowing is an agreeable and accurate accoimt of its 
manners : — “ Tlie Humming-bird Hawk-moth visits 
us annually, and occasionally in some numbers, 
fi-isking about aU the summer long, and in very 
fine seasons continues with us as late as the second 
week in October. Tlie vigilance and animation of 
this creature are surprising, and seem to equal those 
of its namesake, the splendid meteoric bird of the 
tropics, ‘ that winged thought,’ as some one has 
called itj though our plain and dusky insect can 
boast none of its glorious hues. Our Uttle sphuix 
appears cliiefly in the mornings and evenings of the 
day, rather avoiding the heat of the mid-day sun, 
possibly aroused from its rest by the scent, that 
‘ aromatic soul of flowers,' which is principally 
exhaled at these periods ; delighting in the jasmine, 
marvel of Peru, phlox, and such tubular flowers ; 
and it will even insert its long, flexible tube into 
every petal of the carnation, to extract the honey- 
like liquor it contains. It nnll visit our geraniums 
and greenhouse plants, and, w'hisking over part of 
them with contemptuous celerity, select some com- 
posite flower that takes its ftincy, and examine every 
tube with rapidity, hovering over its disk with 
quivering wings, wliile its fine hawk-Uke eyes 
survey all surrounding dangers. The least move- 
ment alarms it, and it darts away with the speed of 
an arrow ; yet returns, and with suspicious vigilance 
