not, however, so fortunate as to meet with it. Several times I
shot by mistake a hummingbird hawk-moth instead of a bird. This
moth (Macroglossa Titan) is somewhat smaller than hummingbirds
generally are; but its manner of flight, and the way it poises
itself before a flower whilst probing it with its proboscis, are
precisely like the same actions of hummingbirds. It was only
after many days' experience that I learned to distinguish one
from the other when on the wing. This resemblance has attracted
the notice of the natives, all of whom, even educated whites,
firmly believe that one is transmutable into the other. They have
observed the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies, and
think it not at all more wonderful that a moth should change into
a hummingbird. The resemblance between this hawk-moth and a
hummingbird is certainly very curious, and strikes one even when
both are examined in the hand. Holding them sideways, the shape
of the head and position of the eyes in the moth are seen to be
nearly the same as in the bird, the extended proboscis
representing the long beak. At the tip of the moth's body there
is a brush of long hair-scales resembling feathers, which, being
expanded, looks very much like a bird's tail. But, of course, all
these points of resemblance are merely superficial. The negroes
and Indians tried to convince me that the two were of the same
species. "Look at their feathers," they said; "their eyes are the
same, and so are their tails." This belief is so deeply rooted
that it was useless to reason with them on the subject. The
Macroglossa moths are found in most countries, and have
everywhere the same habits; one well-known species is found in
England. Mr. Gould relates that he once had a stormy altercation
with an English gentleman, who affirmed that hummingbirds were
found in England, for he had seen one flying in Devonshire,