G52 [December 



in the pupa state, and disclose in May or June of the following year. 



It occurs in all the temperate parts of Europe. It is found also in 

 Africa, in the East Indies, and according to Boisduval, in the islands 

 of the Pacific Ocean. Chenu's Insectes Lepidnpteres, p. 269-71. 



On this continent, it extends throughout the tropics, and north into 

 Pennsylvania. The larval description given by Abbot and Smith 

 (under the name of convohuli) diflFers so essentially from the above as 

 hardly to be referable to the same species. , 



The following quaint description of this species is extracted from 

 MademniseUe De Meriaiis Histoire Generale des Insectes de Sibrlnam 

 — a very valuable work, now almost out of print. — a fine edition of 

 which, in folio, published at Paris in 1771, is in the possession of John 

 Gebhard, Jr , Esq., of Schoharie, N. Y.: 



The caterpillar is rarely met with ; it inhabits ordinarily fields of grain, and 

 feeds on the roots of the Tvraye. It is of a clear brown color, striped and spotted 

 in an obscure shade. The last of July I placed one in a box with some ground, 

 where it made a round deep hole ; entering therein, it covered the cavity with 

 some leaves, and transformed into a pupa, which was green on the breast and 

 black on the back. The following day it became brown, with two small protu- 

 berances on the sides similar to eyes, and between the two a curved horn; it 

 moved about with much force. 



At the end of September it came out a large moth, which had the front of the 

 body and the wings of a gray cinder, ornamented with black. On the wings 

 could be seen distinctly the Roman letters B, C, U and M. It had before its 

 head a long brown tube, which, at some distance from the head, divided in two, 

 and was capable of being entwined on each side, and also of being extended at 

 length. The body above was of a clear red, striped with black, with an ash gray 

 stripe along its back. The whole body was bristling with hairs, or with downy 

 plumes. During the day it was quiet, but flew about at night, making a great 

 humming, in keeping with its great size. 



Sphinx ? 



Young Larva; previous to its final moulting, 1.25 in. long; apple- 

 green ; a horn like projection of the anterior portion of the second seg- 

 ment, on each side of which are two light purple blotches, of which the 

 anterior one is the larger; one or two similar spots on each side of the 

 caudal horn, and a few purplish dorsal dots. Caudal horn short, blunt, 

 slightly curved. 



The above description is from memory. The larva was taken on the 

 J)th of August, feeding on Spearmint, {Mentha viridis) and not having 

 matured, descriptive notes were omitted at the time. It remained mo- 



