Thank you, Don, for sending the photos and making me aware of that the red sting could refer to the receptionist's finger and nail polish. It is interesting that "the red sting" is the only reference to a female nail or nail polish in TT.

Thanks to Don and M Wells, I think I finally make sense of "the red sting is l'aiguillon rouge"--it has sounded to me just tautological--as the red sting of the hawkmoth might fool birds, her red sting signaling HP--she is going to tell him that he could move to the room 313, i. e., his death--also could camouflage the fate.

Does anyone know about "flesh is flesh," and "my love would not mind"? I suspect they come from something old and well-known (perhaps popular then), but I have no idea.

Akiko

----- Original Message -----

From: D. Barton Johnson

To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU

Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 9:17 AM

Subject: TT-25 l'aiguillon rouge

EDNOTE. Akiko tells me that Boyd has recognized the reference to the Spinx or Hawkmoth in the phrase. That l'aiguillon rouge specifically refers to the red horn sticking up on the last segment of the caterpillar. More immediately, the phrase refers to the receptionist's finger and nail polish as she signals HP. It is not a stinger. I have not been able to discover what its function may be. Perhaps a sex attractant?

Chenilles du "Sphinx de l'euphorbe" Celerio euphorbiae (photos M.Besnier et D.Nussbaum)

Détail de la "corne" de la chenille du "Sphinx de l'euphorbe" (photo D.Nussbaum)