1864.] 649 



Black rarieff/. An impression that I had some years since, seen 

 those which were black, is confirmed by Mr. Egbert Bagg Jr., of this city, 

 who assures me that this season, nearly all those which were found upon 

 a tomato-patch visited by him, were perfectly black. Another gentle- 

 man informs me, that among a number taken from the tobacco, were 

 several black ones — not dark brown, but unmistakeably black — and 

 that they were of a larger size than the green. I regret that I have 

 no description of this interesting variety. 



In another species of this genus — S. clngulata — we are presented 

 with a range of coloration nearly as great, an account of which, for the 

 sake of comparison, 1 have transcribed and introduced in this paper. 



Can these differences be sexual ? In Clemens' Synopsis of the Sphin- 

 gidae. the larva of Thyrnis Ahhotii is described as differing materially 

 in color in the sexes, viz: S , reddish-brown, with numerous dorsal 

 patches of light green, and lateral triangular ones ; 9 . uniform reddish- 

 brown or blackish-brown, immaculate. 



Probably no one who has reared qumquemaculafn has failed of noting 

 with great surprise the wonderful voracity of the larva. If furnished 

 with what would seem an inordinate quantity of food, in an unexpectedly 

 brief space of time, only the naked stems remain. Unless disturbed, it 

 continues eating without cessation, night and day. The rapidity with 

 which a leaf disappears before it. is almost marvellous, and will account 

 for the phenomenon sometimes presented in our gardens of a tomato- 

 patch almost defoliated before the first attack had been observed. 

 When nearly mature, it often resorts to the tomato itself, as if feeding 

 on the leaves were too slow an operation to satisfy its craving appetite. 



Instances are related of the poisonous effects of the bite of this cater- 

 pillar, where a high degree of inflammation, swelling and severe pain 

 has resulted, — in one case, as narrated to me, terminating in death, 

 lentil established by undoubted testimony, statements so improbable are 

 not entitled to belief. Among hundreds of Sphinx and other Lepidop- 

 terous larvae handled by me — many of them roughly — in not one in- 

 stance has the disposition to inflict a bite been observed, even under the 

 provocation of confinement in the hand. 



The Pupa is frequently met with in the Fall in digging potatoes, 

 upon which plant also the larva is said to feed, and from its long arched 

 tongue-case, is a well known object of interest. It is 2.25 in. long, .6(» 



