. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH. 417 precaution be not taken, the shell of the chrysalis is apt to become so hard that the moth is unable to break its way out, and perishes ia the shell. I have several specimens where the moth has thus perished. The caterpillars are also much infested by ichneumon-tiies, so that the collector often finds his hopes of a fine insect destroyed by these small and fatal flies. It is worthy of remark, that, when this moth first emerges from the clirysalis shell, its
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH. 417 precaution be not taken, the shell of the chrysalis is apt to become so hard that the moth is unable to break its way out, and perishes ia the shell. I have several specimens where the moth has thus perished. The caterpillars are also much infested by ichneumon-tiies, so that the collector often finds his hopes of a fine insect destroyed by these small and fatal flies. It is worthy of remark, that, when this moth first emerges from the clirysalis shell, its wings, legs, and antennae are enveloped in a fine and delicate membrane, which soon dies when exposed to the air, and falls off in pieces, permitting the limbs to unfold themselves. Mr. Westwood regards this membrane as analogous to the jjellicle upon the pseudimago of the may-fly, described at page 396. One of the most curious points in the history of the Death' s-head Moth is its power of producing a sound—a faculty which is truly remarkable among the Lepidoptera. The noise is something like the grating, squeaking cry of the field-cricket, but not nearly so loud. The mode of producing the sound is rather doubtful; but modern investigations seem to confirm the opinion of Hnber and Rosel, who thouglit that the sound was produced by friction of the abdomen against the thorax just at the junction. At all events, it is certain that the moth always bends its abdomen downwards whenever this squeak or cry is heard, and a circular tuft of orange-colored hairs below the wings is seen to expand at the same time. The color of the caterpillar is bright yellow, and the body is covered with many small tubercles. Along each side run seven oblique bands of a fine green. At the end of the tail is. PINE HAWK-MOTH.—Sphinx plnastri. With eggs and caterpillar. (Natural size.) a granulated kind of horn, and upon the back are many spots of black and blue. The color of the moth is briefly as fol
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
