66 JOHN B. SMITH. 



The term Sesiidte is here used for tlie genei'a Mdcroglossa and Sesia, 

 the hitter term being used in a manner synonymous with Heviaris 

 Dahii., which is not mentioned. 



Tlie ^Egeriiche are synonymous witli the Sesiidce of Continental 



authors, and tw() genera are recognized : 



Maxillae short; antenna; abbreviated Trocliilium. 



Maxilla? long; anteunse longer ^Egeria. 



Stei)hens' example in this misuse of the term Sesia, or rather his 

 failure to recognize the restriction of the term by previous authors, 

 has been followed by British entomologists to the present day, and 

 American entomologists have, until recentl)', followed in their wake. 



In the thirty-sixth volume of the " American Journal of Science 

 and Art," (Silliman's journal) 1889, Dr. T. W. Harris gives the first 

 review of the American species of the Linnaean genus Sphinx in its 

 widest sense, recognizing the families now generally adopted, and in- 

 cluding the species loosely classed as Zygcenidce. He begins his paper 

 with a definition of the grouj), and of the habits of the larv?e and 

 imagos, then follows a " Synopsis of Families and Genera." He 

 divides the Sphinges into two tribes, according to the Linnaean sys- 

 tem, and as follows: 



Tribe I. — Sphinges legitime. 

 Larva' colored, for the most part horned on the tail, and feeding 

 on the leaves of plants; or whitish, slightly hairy, not horned, and 

 living on woody material within the stems of plants. Antennse of 

 the winged insects tipped with a minute bristly tuft [Note. — Obsolete 

 or wanting in the Smerinthiui'\. Palpi (except in the jEgeriidie) with 

 the third joint minute and indistinct. 



Tribe II. — Sphinges ADSCiTiE. 



Larvie always colored, more or less hairy, nevei" horned, feeding 

 on leaves and transforming in a silken cocoon, which is fastened to 

 the plants on which they live. AntenniB of the winged insects not 

 tufted at the end. Palpi distinctly three-jointed. 



The Sphinges legitirme he divides into three families : Sphingidce, 

 Macroglossidce. and JEgeriidie. 



The Spjhingidw he limits as follows : 



" Antennae fusiform and prismatic, ending in a hook, and in the 

 males transversely biciliated beneath, or more rarely curved, and in 

 the females bipectinated beneath. Palpi pressed close to the face. 



