. Animal Life and the World of Nature; A magazine of Natural History. 174 Animal Life impression; but my friend decided not to carry such moths in his hat again. Hawk-moths do not readily lay eggs in confinement. They take their name " Hawk " from their swift and powerful flight; and it is not often that they give a second chance when once missed by the entomologist. The only way is to steal a march upon them as they hover over some flower; or, better still, not to march at all, but take your stand, net in hand, close to some large clump of their favourite flowers, and there wait lik
. Animal Life and the World of Nature; A magazine of Natural History. 174 Animal Life impression; but my friend decided not to carry such moths in his hat again. Hawk-moths do not readily lay eggs in confinement. They take their name " Hawk " from their swift and powerful flight; and it is not often that they give a second chance when once missed by the entomologist. The only way is to steal a march upon them as they hover over some flower; or, better still, not to march at all, but take your stand, net in hand, close to some large clump of their favourite flowers, and there wait like a statue until a moving shadow seems to pass suddenly before you among the flowers; then if you strike quickly you may be fortunate in capturing the prize. The Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth is not in- frequently seen in the London parks in August and September, flitting from flower to flower of the Nicotiana. I have often watched it in my own garden darting rapidly from flower to flower of the white jessamine. The larva? are found feeding upon the garden fuchsia. The beautiful Privet Hawk is another mem- ber of this charming group found in London gardens, where the English privet is plentiful, but the larvae do not relish the soot-laden leaves, preferring to go further afield. I have had a number sent to me from the country, very few of which have been able to digest our smoke and dust. The hardiest of all, the Poplar Hawk, sometimes reaches more than four inches across the wings. These are not of so pointed a character as those of the Privet Moth, whose wings when at rest are roofed down close to the body, which is completely hidden. In the three species belonging to the genus Smerinthus, the outer margins of the wings are beautifully scalloped, both upper and lower wings being held half open away from the body, with the tips considerably raised. In this loose attitude the Poplar Hawk much resembles many things, from a dead leaf to the cross- bar underneath a street gas lamp—a fa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1902
