Humming-bird and Humming-bird Hawk-moth

In January the orange trees became covered with bloosom - at least to a greater extent than usual, for they flower more or less in this country all the year round -- and the flowers attracted a great number of humming birds. They dart to and from so swiftly that the eye can scarcely follow them, and when they stop before a flower it is only for a few moments. They poise themselves in an unsteady manner, their wings moving with inconceivable rapidity; probe the flower, and then shoot off to another part of the tree. They do not proceed in that methodical manner which bees follow, taking the flowers the most capricious way. . . . . Several times I shot by mistake a humming bird hawk-moth instead of a bird. This moth (Macroglossa Titan) is somewhat smaller than humming birds 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 humming birds. It was only after many days experience that I learnt 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 humming bird. . . Page 96/97