Hespekid^. INSECTS. 
262 
111 their flight they are very rapid, the eye being 
scarcely able to follow their movements. They are 
fond of the hottest sunshine, and in rapidity of wing 
they rival the Hawk-moths. Oar English collectors 
have given them the name of “ Skippers,” from their 
peculiar flitting movements. The caterpillars are of 
moderate length, cylindrical, fleshy, and not spined. 
They have a large head and a narrow neck, and gene- 
rally live in rolled-up leaves ; hence Dr. Boisduval has 
given the name of Involuti to the division which con- 
tains them. The chiysalis is entire, and is generally 
without angular prominences. It is attached by the tail, 
and is girt round the middle, being, however, sometimes 
inclosed in a slight silken cocoon among the rolled 
leaves. 
The chief character of the family consists in the 
middle legs having a pair of spurs in the middle of 
the hind tibiae, a character not met with in other 
butterflies. 
Mr. Westwood gives the following as the characters 
of the family . — The head is often very broad, and has 
Sphingid.®. 
generally a tuft of hairs at the base of the antennae, 
which are wide apart and often terminated by a thick 
club or a strong-curved hook. The eyes are large and 
very prominent. The labial palpi are short and broad, 
and closely compressed against the face; they are 
densely covered with scales, and the terminal joint is 
often very minute, scaleless, and conical. The spiral 
tongue is very long. The forewings have always four 
branches to the postcostal vein ; all rising before the 
extremity of the discoidal cell. The hind wings have 
the anal portion of the outer margin often produced 
into a lobe or tail. The fore legs are perfect ; the tibiae 
are short, and have generally a horny flattened spur 
on the inside beyond the middle, which is generally 
concealed by long hairs. The peculiar spurs on the 
intermediate legs have been previously noticed. The 
hind legs have generally a pair of spurs below the 
middle and another pair at the tip. The tarsi are long, 
and have rows of short spines beneath ; the claws are 
much bent, are broad at the base, and have a deep 
notch in the middle. 
HETEEOCERA. 
In this great section of the Lepidoptera are placed all 
those species in which the antennae is never terminated 
in a club, as in the preceding group, the Butterflies. In 
the species composing this group, the antenna are fili- 
form, fusiform, or setaceous ; the males in many species 
having them beautifully pectinated. There are not less 
than nineteen hundred British species known, and the 
number of exotic species is probably equal to that of 
any group in the entire order of insects. Interesting 
as it would undoubtedly be to dwell upon these insects 
in the same detailed manner in which those composing 
the preceding orders have been treated, we are com- 
pelled, by want of space and other circumstances, to 
give a very brief account of the Moths, which comprise 
the group Heterocera. 
Family— SPHINGIDAl. 
These insects are the most robust and powerful of the 
whole group. They are known in this country as the 
Hawk-moths. The tongue in many species is very long, 
being adapted for reaching the hottom of the longest- 
tubed flowers. They are called Sphingidae from the cir- 
cumstance of their larva assuming a position, when 
alarmed, resembling the figure of the emblematic Egyp- 
tian sphinx. Many of the species only take wing in 
the evening, about twilight ; others fly by day, as does 
the Humming-bird Hawk-moth — so called from its 
flight and its mode of hovering on the wing, after the 
manner of the Humming-bird, whilst it quaffs the nectar 
of flowers. 
The Sphinx convolvuli takes wing in the evening, 
not flying, but darting like a flash of lightning from 
flower to flower ; its tongue, which is longer than its 
body, reaching to the bottom of the longest-tubed flower. 
One of the best known and most universally distri- 
buted species of Sphingidae is Aclierontia atropos (the 
Death’s-head moth), so called from the pale skull- 
shaped spot on its thorax, which has caused its ap- 
pearance to be regarded with dread by the superstitious. 
This moth sometimes commits depredations on the 
stores of the Hive bee, a fact well known to apiarians. 
All the species of this family are beautiful insects, 
being, as it were, painted in the richest and most 
harmonious colours. Some of the British species 
are of great rarity, as S. Pinastri and Deilepldla 
Euphorbia. 
Family — H11GEEIDH5. 
The family HUgerid^ contains the moths known as 
Clear-wings. 
Fig. IGO. 
Cnetliocampa processionca. 
a male ; i female. 
Fig 16t. 
Larva of Zeuzora 
.(Esciili. 
Family— BOMBYCIDAl. 
The family BoMBYCiDiE contains the silk-producing 
species ; the best known, and that which produces the 
