94 MEMOIRS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



In the present day all genera in which the species are common, and the local forms of which 

 consequently are fairly well represented in all extensive collections, are the subject of endless and 

 useless discussion between the two classes of describers— those who regard local forms as species 

 and those who regard them as varieties. As a fact, however, the matter lies in a nutshell. If all 

 local forms are varieties, there are no species of Lepidoptera, or will not be when we have perfect 

 collections. Local forms are in fact the only species that exist, as is evident in the case of all 

 genera which are well represented in our collections. I therefore regard a local form as a species 

 and a sport, a melanism or an albinism as a variety. I admit no subspecies, regarding the latter 

 as an evasion, invented by such as do not possess sufficient courage to express their opinions. 



MOTHS. 



Sphingid^. 



Macroglossa cinerescens, sp. n. (No. 57). 



5 Nearer to M. obscura, Horsf. from Java, than to any other described species ; differing from 

 all the known species in the coloration of the primaries; the latter are ash-gray; the costal border 

 dark brown, with a basal streak in the cell and a spot (confluent with costal border) at the end of 

 the cell of the same color; a broad, smoky-brown, external border, widest on costa and gradually 

 narrowing to external angle, its inner edge darkest, forming an ill-defined band ; secondaries dark 

 chocolate-brown, traversed from center of costa to anal angle by a broad, bright, ochreous baud, 

 its inner edge deutated, its outer edge sinuous (geschwungen) ; body grayish -brown above, the 

 abdomen evidently with yellow lateral spots, but the body of the type is a good deal rubbed, 

 having lost its lateral and anal tufts ; wings below smoky-brown, inclining to chocolate ; primaries 

 with paler internal border ; base streaked with whitish ; secondaries whitish at base ; abdominal 

 area chrome yellow, excepting at anal angle ; a broad pale band, mottled with red-brown, from the 

 abdominal area to the costa ; head below white ; pectus sordid white ; venter smoky grayish-brown, 

 with white-fringed black-edged posterior margins to the segments ; expanse of wings' 48 

 millimeters. 



The genus Macroglossa contains a considerable number of nearly allied species, no less than 

 thirty-seven being contained in the collection of the British Museum. When the whole of the 

 grades can be associated in one series it is probable that they will not number less than a hundred, 

 possibly many more. Notwithstanding the great similarity of the imagines in this genus, the larva 

 exhibit the most astounding differences of color and pattern. 



Xylophasiidje. 

 Proclenia retina (Nos. 60 and 62). 



Nevria retina, Herrich-Schaffer, Europ. Schmett, II, p. 292 ; Noct., pi. 29, fig. 145. 



This is a wide-ranging species, of which the following may be nothing more than an albinism ; 

 but as I have never seen anything like it before from any of the Asiatic or African localities where 

 P. retina abounds, I think it worth while provisionally to give it a distinctive name. 



Prodenia evanescens, sp. n. (Nos. 59 and 03). 



Slightly larger than P. retina, with the same pattern, but the primaries, with all the brown 

 markings, replaced by pale olivaceous; the black markings also indicated in this coh)r upon the 

 central belt, but towards base and external border by dull lilac, if indicated at all ; veins beyond 



