42 ; PLATE -LII. 
A very elegant, and common Species of the Sphinx genus: it is 
taken in June and July. After the Infe& dies, the colour of the 
thorax and abdomen, except the yellow bands, is entirely black, or 
_ black with a very faint glofs of a reddifh blue: but is an exceedingly 
brilliant dark purple, while the creature is alive; and the yellow belts 
on the alternate divifions of the body, glitter in the: funthine with the 
effulgence of molten gold. The legs are yet more beautiful, as the 
purple, though paler, is of a livelier luflre; and every joint is deeply 
fringed with the fame golden colour as that on the body. The wings, 
which are perfectly tranfparent, except at the apex, are delicately 
veined, and ribbed with black fines. The fan or bearded tail of the 
body is expanded or contraéted at pleafure, 
If the creature burfis from its chryfalis in the morning, it is gene. 
rally obferved {porting among the leaves of the neareft plants about 
noon ; and this is commonly the ‘time the male is feen fecking its 
mate. 
The very fingular appearance of this infe€t before the lens of the 
opake microfcope, induces us to give this magnified figure in addition 
to the plate in which the larva, pupa, and perfect flate are delineated 
in the natural fize. i 
2 PLATE 
