March  7,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
191 
have  yielded  a  fair  supply  of  specimens.  We  might  say  generally 
that  the  moth  is  less  observed  than  is  the  citerpillar,  which  frequently 
comes  in  the  way  of  Potato  diggers.  From  various  notes  that  have 
been  published,  it  would  seem  that  1900  was  a  year  when  many 
caterpillars  were  found,  and  pupae  dug  up.  By  a  few,  perhaps,  this 
appearance  of  an  ominous  insect  may  be  deemed  a  prognostic  of  the 
national  calarnity  of  January,  1901.  Indeed,  the  preceding  year,  too, 
owinz  to  the  South  African  war,  and  other  disorders,  had  far  from  a 
cheerful  record. 
Here,  however,  we  have  to  look  at  the  insect  as  it  is  related  to  the 
farm  or  garden,  and  we  must  class  it  with  the  enemies  of  our  important 
esculeot,  the  Potato.  This  is  evidently  now  the  principal  food  of 
the  caterpillar,  but  of  course,  before  the  Potato  was  introduced,  it  must 
have  subsisted  on  other  plants  or  shrubs.  A  number  of  these  cater¬ 
pillars,  during  the  later  period  of  their  growth,  would  consume  a  large 
quantity  of  leaves  no  doubt,  still  the  species  never  seems  to  have  been 
abundant  enough  in  any  held  to  make  a  notable  reduction  in  the  crop. 
It  never  touches  the  tubers,  but  it  may  sometimes  eat  down  a  stem 
close  to  the  soil.  The  popular  name  of  “  lokus,”  spelt  thus,  given  to  it 
in  some  counties,  certainly  indicates  a  belief  in  its  destructive  powers, 
whether  based  on  fact  or  not.  Naturally  the  chief  detectors  of  the 
insect,  in  both  the  larval  and  chrysalis  stages,  are  workers  engaged 
about  the  Potato  fields  weeding  or  digging  up  the  crop.  Not  many 
entomologists  have  time  or  patience  for  a  tedious  and  fatiguing  hunt, 
of  doubtful  result,  amongst  the  Potato 
rows.  What  makes  a  search  more 
difficult  by  day  is  that  the  caterpillar, 
at  least  when  getting  big,  conceals 
itself  under  the  earth  mostly,  emerging 
to  feed  after  sunset.  Yet  it  has  been 
noticed  devouring  the  leaves  of  other 
plants  quite  exposed  to  view,  and 
lucky  collectors  have  taken  specimens 
off  the  Tea  Tree  (Lycium  barbarum) 
and  the  Bittersweet  or  Woody  Night¬ 
shade  of  our  hedges;  it  is  also  said  to 
have  been  noticed  on  a  Privet  bush, 
which  is  not  unlikely.  Other  species 
allied  to  the  Potato,  such  as  the  Black 
Nightshade,  may  be  occasionally  its 
food,  perhaps  even  the  Belladonna. 
Such  a  caterpillar  as  that  of  the 
death’s-head  moth,  when  large  and 
plump,  might  be  supposed  to  offer  a 
bonne  bouche  which  a  hungry  bird 
would  delight  in.  Yet  we  have  no 
evidence  that  it  is  eaten  by  birds,  nor 
indeed  that  they  make  victims  of 
other  big  caterpillars  of  the  hawk 
moth  tribe.  But  I  have  noticed  that 
on  hedges  of  Privet,  where  the  cater¬ 
pillars  of  the  species  A.  ligustri  have 
been  feeding  in  the  autumn,  that  one 
day  there  would  be  several  on  a  bush, 
and  a  few  days  after  these  had  gone.  Of  course  it  is  possible  they 
had  moved  some  distance  off  or  had  been  taken  away  by  entomologists, 
perhaps  by  children.  I  could  scarcely  assert  that  the  fact  of  the 
death’s-head  caterpillar  (at  least  while  large),  remaining  concealed  by 
day,  indicates  apprehension  of  danger  from  birds,  but  it  is  possible. 
Seemingly  the  insect  is  not  particularly  liable  to  the  attacks  of 
insect  parasites.  If  it  were  necessary  to  remove  these  caterpillars, 
should  they  be  suspected  of  doing  mischief,  a  search  must  be 
made  by  night,  or  it  might  be  successful  «,in  early  morning.  Ko 
one  has  discovered  the  moths  in  the  act  of  laying  eggs  amongst  the 
Potatoes. 
Many  of  our  British  moths  are  irregular  in  their  appearance,  common 
some  seasons,  rare  or  even  invisible  during  others,  which  has  led 
ingenious  people  to  construct  periods  of  three,  five,  or  seven  years  for 
several  of  them,  but  I  think  these  are  little  to  be  relied  upon.  The 
abundance  or  scarcity  of  any  species  may  depend  partly  on  the 
weather,  on  plentifulness  of  food  and  scarcity  of  enemies,  or  various 
causes  not  within  our  knowledge.  The  death’s-head  moth  is  eccentric; 
one  circumstance  that  may  have  to  do  with  its  uncertainty  was 
discovered  by  the  late  Edward  Newman.  What  we  should  call  its 
usual  period  of  emergence  from  the  chrysalis  is  July  and  August,  but 
some  surprise  was  caused  by  reports  of  specimens  seen  or  taken 
as  late  as  November.  It  was  found  that  occasionally  part  of  the 
autumn  brood  of  caterpillars,  instead  of  hybernating  in  the  chrysalis 
state,  appear  the  same  year,  but  when  they  do  no  eggs  are  laid 
by  these  moths.  That  emergence  would,  of  course,  diminish  the 
number  of  egg-laying  moths  during  the  following  season.  Certainly, 
as  described  to  me,  it  has  a  somewhat  startling  effect  to  have  this 
big  insect  enter  your  bedroom  on  an  f  autumr  .  fining,  its  eyes 
gleaming  like  tiny  stars.  Other  moths  [have  also  this  luminosity, 
whetner  phosphoric  or  electric,  or  duo  to  something  else,  we  are  not 
yet  able  to  ascertain. 
Now  there  is  another  point  to  be  noted,  the  death’s-head  moth  is 
a  sturdy  insect,  but  looking  at  its  bulky  body  you  might  say  the 
wings  could  not  carry  it  far,  and  consider  that  if  one  of  them  flew  a 
mile  it  had  accomplished  a  good  distance.  We  have,  however, 
evidence  quite  overwhelming  that  these  moths,  when  they  will,  can 
cover  the  space  between  England  and  France,  or  the  reverse  way; 
they  have  also  been  taken  on  the  route  between  Hamburgh  and  Hull, 
bound,  we  suppose,  for  the  Norfolk  Potato  fields,  having  been  bred  on 
those  of  North  Germany.  An  arrival  of  foreigners  that  had  made  a 
favourable  journey  to  us  may,  some  yews,  increase  our  number  of 
caterpillars,  and  again  in  a  year  like  1900,  possibly  emigrants  travel 
from  our  shores  to  the  Continent.  It  is  necessary  to  add  that  the 
moths  do  not  journey  on  board  any  vessel  by  clinging  to  a  spar,  or 
hiding  amongst  baggage  upon  the  deck,  but  they  have  been  many 
times  seen  in  the  act  of  flying  over  a  ship  or  boat.  Occasionally  one 
has  been  caught  when  settling  aboard,  it  would  seem,  for  a  brief  rest. 
Before  taking  a  long  aerial  excursion  a  moth  may  well  require 
food,  and  several  of  the  hawk  moths,  akin  to  the  death’s-head,  are 
known  to  be  frequent  haunters  of  flowers,  from  which  they  draw  the 
nectar.  But  the  death’s-head  moth  has  a  very  short  proboscis,  which 
renders  it  impossible  tor  the  insect  to  obtain  much  nutriment  in  that 
way.  Hence  it  seeks  for  sweets  wherever  they  are  attainable,  and  one 
has  been  seen  feasting  on  a  treacle 
tub  outside  a  grocer’s  shop.  But  the 
moth’s  particular  fancy  is  a  beehive 
when  it  cm  enter  one,  hence  it  has 
been  regarded  with  no  friendly  eyes 
by  bee-keepers  of  a  byegone  generation. 
But  the  modern  style  of  hive  does  not 
suit  his  hawkship  at  all.  A  little 
while  ago  a  specimen  was  seen 
hovering  about  hives  near  Gravesend  ; 
no  doubt  he  went  away  disgusted. 
The  old-date  straw  hive,  with  its  wide 
entrance,  gave  the  moth  a  good 
chance.  Huber,  the  German  naturalist, 
has  told  us  of  the  dexterity  shown  by 
his  bees,  who  formed  barriers  of  wax 
and  propolis  at  the  door  of  their 
hives,  leaving  only  space  enough 
for  themselves  to  enter.  Where, 
unfortunately,  a  moth  had  got  in  and 
died,  the  bees  embalmed  it  with 
propolis,  as  it  could  not  be  removed, 
and  might  smell  unpleasantly. 
Amongst  the  naturalists  of  a  past 
generation  there  prevailed  an  idea  that 
the  moth’s  peculiar  cry  or  squeak  was 
given  to  it  by  Nature,  in  order  that  it 
might  terrify  the  bees,  and  keep  them 
from  interfering  with  its  movements. 
Bees  are  not  usually  timid  insects,  and 
I  cannot  think  they  would  be  affected  by  the  plaintive  note  of  the 
death’s-head.  Recently  some  observers  have  detected  a  fragrance 
emitted  from  the  thorax,  which  has  been  variously  compared  to  the 
odour  of  Musk  or  Jessamine.  It  might  be  suggested  this  has  a 
charming  influence  on  bees  the  moth  approaches.  Are  the  moths 
found  dead  in  hives  killed  by  the  bees,  or  is  it  that,  having  got  in, 
they  have  failed  to  discover  the  way  of  exit  afterwards  ?  One 
gentleman  states  that  on  lifting  up  a  straw  hive  he  came  upon  a  moth 
in  a  perfect  condition  close  to  the  entrance,  showing  no  signs  of  a 
struggle  to  escape.  He  concluded  the  bees  had  killed  it,  but  some  do 
not  believe  their  stings  could  pierce  the  fur  and  horny  integument. 
This  fact  is  singular,  that  the  caterpillar,  as  well  as  the  moth,  can 
produce  a  sound.  Newman  and  Fuseli  compare  it  to  the  snapping 
of  an  electric  spark ;  but  a  friend  who  heard  one  says  he  thought  it 
was  rather  like  the  cry  of  the  moth,  only  fainter.  It  has  happened 
that  the  few  I  have  had  in  my  possession  were  silent.  While  young 
the  caterpillar,  by  its  yellowish  or  pale  green  hue,  may  escape  notice 
easily  amongst  the  leaves  of  the  Potato.  After  the  last  change  of 
skin  it  is  very  showy,  the  sides  of  the  body  having  seven  violet 
stripes,  bordered  with  white,  which  meet  on  the  back.  The  surface 
generally  is  freckled  with  black  dots,  and  the  tail  bears  a  recurved 
tubercled  horn.  When  possible  the  insect  prefers  to  descend  deep  into 
the  earth  for  the  chrysalis  change. — Entomologist. 
Sweet  Pea  Culture  by  Catalogue. — Compilers  of  seed  cata¬ 
logues  have  done  remarkably  well  this  year,  says  the  “Boston 
Journal.”  Sweet  Pea  blooms  will  be  bigger  and  brighter  than  ever. 
Those  of  ns  who  know  that  this  is  so,  because  we  read  it  in  the 
catalogues,  are  willing  to  take  it  for  granted. 
Diospyros  Kaki — The  Chinese  Date  Plum.  (See  p.  189.) 
