THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLQGIST. 127 



with the ending i)ice. I am myself of the opinion that these divisions are 

 only of tribal value, and should prefer to so designate them. But, under 

 this view, the Family Sphingidae, as here considered, would remain only 

 of Subfamily value, somewhat as intended by Dr. Harris, whose " tribes " 

 have a wider significance, whereas I intend by " tribes " assemblages of 

 genera subordinate in rank to Subfamilies, and as intended by LeConte 

 in Coleoptera. These matters must be left, however, to final revisions of 

 our classification. At this moment I am interested, in view of Prof. Fer- 

 nald's recent valuable paper, in defending my sequence of the genera and 

 groups as laid down in my former papers. 



I have commenced with the Macroglossinse on account of their 

 diurnal flight, the frequent use of silk in the pupation, the fusiform 

 antennae, characters which ally the moths to the lower butterflies. I have, 

 since 1865, pointed out that the European Macroglossiim stellatarum is 

 the type of a distinct genus from Hemaris ; it is an Old World genus 

 containing several species and differing from a large number of partially 

 vitreous allies, by the abdominal tufts, the comparatively stouter antennae, 

 the thicker palpi, different vestiture, besides the thickly scaled wings. I 

 denuded the wings of these forms, discovering that V. Heineman's state- 

 ment that the cell of Bombyliformis was crossed by a vein, to be incor- 

 rect, the bar being formed by scales only, and found certain slight neur- 

 ational characteristics which I no longer can refer to. The neuration of 

 Lepisesia is figured in my Sphingidae of Cuba, p. 6 (1865). 



The characters of the Family Sphingidae are the narrow wings, the 

 primaries long, the secondaries short j the frenulum is present ; the fringes 

 short, vestiture scaly and close ; there is a general absence of tuftings 

 and all impediments to a swift and continuous flight. The abdomen is 

 heavy, long, usually tapering, the segments armed. The head is promin- 

 ent, ocelli wanting, eyes naked, large ; antennae prismatic, maxillary palpi 

 wanting, labial palpi thick, tongue variable but usually well and even 

 excessively developed. Pupation sometimes on the surface in a slight 

 web, but oftenest in the ground without cocoon. In the higher genera of 

 the first Subfamily the wings are entire, in the lower, Thyreus, Deidamia, . 

 etc., angulated. These lower genera of the first Subfamily approach the 

 Choerocampinae, and I cannot interpolate here the Sphinginae. The larvae 

 feed also on the grape and Ampelopsis; the young of Thyreus are com- 

 parable to Phiiampelus in the loss of the caudal horn and the assumption 

 of a tubercle. While the larvae of Hemaris, etc., feed in preference on 



