There is another alMed British Moth belonging to this genus, namely the Broad-Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth {Macroglossa fudformis), which is drawn on Plate XIV. Fig. 4. In this insect the transparent wings are edged with 1 broad chestnut border, the upper wings having a brown, diagonal spot m the centre, and a large patch of the very deepest X dck-green at the base. The thorax and base of the abdomen are brown with a slight green tinge, as is the tip, the remainder oing warm chestnut brown. Like the preceding insect, it has

iilong the sides some black tufts of hair, which it spreads tluring fiig'ht.

This beautiful Moth appears about May; but, as it is a creature of the sun, it is seldom seen, except by experienced entomologists, who know where and when to look for it. Sheltered glades and open spaces in woods are its favourite haunts, but it never appears unless the air be both warm and still. Should the day be cold and dull, and especially if the wind should be in the north-east, the practised insect-hunter knows that he need not trouble himself about this beautiful and capricious insect.

The larva of this species feeds on several plants, among which are mentioned the bedstraws, the common lychnis, and the wood scabious. It is chiefly in consequence of this mode of feeding that these insects have been separated from the next group, which bear a great external resemblance to them, but whose larvse burrow into wood.

The next family is that of the Sesiadse, the members of which have a wonderful resemblance to certain bees, wasps, and flies, their wings being translucent, and their bodies being elongated and narrow, quite unlike those of the preceding naked--winged insects. The antennae have no feathering, and are very often tipped with a small tuft of hairs. The tongue is not nearly so long as in the preceding genus, and in most cases the end of the abdomen is tipped with a spreading brush of hair.

OuB, first example of these remarkable Moths is the Poplar Hornet Clear-ating {Seaia apiformis), which is represented on Woodcut XLIV. Fig. 2. This remarkable insect affords one of the best examples of imitation that I know. Only a few hours before writing this account, I was looking over some rather neglected drawers of insects, on the glass of which a slight layer of dust had been allowed to accumulate. I knew that a Hornet Clear-wing was among them, and yet the insect Hvice escaped observation, so strongly does it resemble the hornet beetle in colour and shape.

The upper wings of this insect are transparent, Avith a slight yellowish tinge, and a narroAV, dark border. The head is yellow, and there is a yelloAV patch on either side of the brown

thorax. Tlie abdomen is yellow, with a broad dark-brown band near the middle, and a very narrow band of a similar colour nearer the base. The legs are orange-yellow. In fact, the colouring of this Moth is almost identical with that of the hornet, the peculiar rich, warm brown of the markings and the yellow of the ground colour being almost exactly identical in both insects.

The caterpillar of this Moth burrows into the wood of the poplar and aspen, and in its tunnel undergoes all its changes. When the larva is full-fed, it spins for itself a rather tough cocoon, made of small fragments of wood bound together with silk, and the Moth emerges about midsummer. The larva of this species passes two years in the tree before it changes to the pupal state.

To this genus, which contains thirteen British species, belong the lesser Clear-wing Moths, which derive their names from the singular resemblance which they bear to various flies and Hymenoptera. They all have slender bodies, tipped with a spreading brush of hair, and their wings are transparent, with a black edge, black nervures to the lower wings, and the upper Avings edged and mostly barred with black, brown, or orange.

The commonest of them is the Currant Clear-wing {Seaia tipuliformis), which may be found in the summer-time resting on the leaves of the currant. It bears a remarkable resemblance to a gnat, whence the name tipuliformis, i.e. formed like a gnat. There are two longitudinal yellow streaks on the thorax, and three bars of the same hue across the body.

The larva of this Moth lives inside the twigs and young branches of the currant, from whicli it bores out the pith, and often kills the branch. Indeed, whenever a bough of the currant begins to wither away without any perceptible cause, a larva of tliis Moth may generally be found within it.

One of these curious Moths takes its name from the ant, another from the chrysis or fire-tail, another from the gall-fly, and so on. None, however, afford such a perfect example of imitation as does the Hornet Clear-wing of the poplar, which Avould even deceive an entomologist unless examined closely.

The family of the Zeuzerid® is remarkable for the fact that the females are fiirnished with a long and hard ovipositor,

by means of which they can introduce tlieir eggs beneatli the bark of the trees on which the caterpillars feed. The tongue and antennae are short, and the larva is naked, with the exception of a few scattered hairs. There is a peculiarity in the chrysalis, which will presently be described.

A very chai'acteristic example of this family is given on Woodcut XLV. Fig. 1, the insect being popularly and appropriately called Wood Leopard Moth {Zeuzera oesculi). This is a very pretty moth, though the colours are simply white and black. The white, however, is partially translucent, and the black is in reality the very deepest blue-green. The figure represents the female. The male is coloured in a similar manner, but his antennae are boldly curved, and adorned for the first half of their length with a deep double comb.

At Fig. a is represented the caterpillar of the Wood Leopard, about half-grown. As may be seen by reference to the illustration, it very much resembles the perfect insect in markings, the green colour being white and the spots shining black. Behind the head is a large black plate. This caterpillar burrows into the limbs of many trees, especially fruit trees, but appears to do little, if any, harm to them. Indeed, Mr. Newman states that fruit trees which are pierced by this larva bear even more abundantly than those which are untouched by it.

The perfect insect appears in the middle of summer, and is a 1 common insect, though it will seldom be found except by persons who know where and when to look for it. The female mostly remains near the tree in which she was bred, and may be found at night clinging to the trunk, where she can be detected by the aid of a lantern. The male is much bolder, and flies abroad in search of his mate. He is one of the many IMoths that fly towards a light, and can often be taken by the simple process of putting a lamp near an open window. Many f entomologists have made quite valuable collections of insects by i this one plan. I

With respect to this particular Moth, Mr. W. C. Hemtson notices, in ‘The Entomologist’s Monthly jMagazine,’ for September 1869, a very curious appearance of this insect. ‘ A fortnight ago, twelve Zeuzera aisculi came down my drawiug-rooui chimney. They were all males. What business they had

there I eannot say. I looked in vain for a female.’ There

is some little difference of opinion respecting the generic

name of this Moth. Professor Westwood states that the right

mode of spelling it is Zenzera, that being the original name given to it by Latreille, and that Zenzera is simply the error of the printer, who had mistaken the letter u for the n, or, perhaps, had turned the n upside down. Be this as it may.

Zenzera sesculi. 2. Cossus lignlperda. a. Zenzera, larva. 6. Cossns, larva. the word Zeuzera is now so universally acknowledged among p entomologists that I have retained it, ^ Mr. and simply mention

Westwood’s correction. t There is a peculiarity in the structure of the chrysaHs of J this and other Moths of the family. Each segment is furmshed on its edges with a row of little hooks by means of Which It can traverse its tunnel nearly as fast as it could while in the caterpillar state. As the pupae of the Lepido-

ptera generally are quiescent, and few can do more than jerk the tail from side to side when irritated, it is rather startling to see a chrysalis wriggle itself up and down the burrow which it has made while in the caterpillar state.

We now come to the GtOat ISIotii (Gossus ligniperda), so-called on account of the very strong odour which is given out by the larva, and bears some resemblance to the powerful scent of the he-goat. A figure of this insect is given on Woodcut XLV. Fig. 2.

The colour of this Moth is nothing more than brown of different shades, arranged as shown in the illustration. As far as the perfect insect goes, there is but little interest about it, | but in the larval condition it is peculiarly interesting, were it only for the fact that everything which can do harm contains within itself an element of interest. We will rapidly trace the life of the Goat Moth, from the deposition of the egg to the development of the perfect insect.

It has already been mentioned that the female Moths of this family possess a long ovipositor. With this instrument the female Goat Moth carefully lodges her eggs deeply in the crevices , of the bark of some tree, and there leaves them. In process of time they are hatched, and, tiny as they are, soon are able to i bore their way into the tree. They spend four years in the body of the tree, apparently never ceasing to eat, and boring j their tunnels through and through the solid wood. These , tunnels increase in size according to the development of the : caterpillar, and, as a great number of larvae generally inhabit one tree, it is no wonder that so many trees are killed by / them.

The number of these destructive creatmes that are found in i one tree may be imagined from an experiment made by ]\lr. v, Douglas. He found an elm lying on the ground, having been blown down in consequence of the galleries of the Goat IMoth weakening the trunk so much that it could not caterpillar endure the wind. He cut off a piece of the trunk two feet inches in diameter at one end and long, and twenty-three fifteen at the other. Wishing to place it in a vessel sixteen j inches in diameter, he was obliged to cut it to the required | in so doing turned out no less than sixty-seven 1 size, and

caterpillars, while the remainder of the block was equally well stocked with these larvae.

One of these caterpillars, about one-fourth grown, is shown at Fig. h, and a curious-looking creature it is. The skin is very smooth and shining, and without hairs, except some stiff bristles winch project from each segment. These are not so conspicuous in the larva as in the drawing. The colour is pale mahogany, except the head and a hard plate on the second segment, which are black. The body is rather flattened, the head is wedge-shaped, and furnished with very powerful jaws. When full-grown the caterpillar exceeds three inches in length, and is as thick as a man’s finger. The strength of a full-grown larva is enormous, and its powers of forcing its way out of the vessel in which it is confined must be seen to be appreciated. I have kept many of these larvae, and never felt sure of them. They were continually escaping. Putting them into a wooden box was quite useless, as they ate their way through the side in a very short time. Putting them in a tin box was equally useless unless the cover were tied down, for they had a way of pushing at the lid round the edges, and so gradually opening it sufficiently to permit their escape. Even perforated zinc is not safe from them, for I have known my caterpillars to find out a place where the zinc has been cracked, fix their short and powerful jaws in the holes, and fairly twist down a flap through which they managed to force themselves.

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