NORTH AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 65 



Faniilia C. — UnclnatL 

 Primaries beak-like ; secondaries sharply angulated. 



Coitus 1. — Oti. 

 Primaries with shaded bands ; secondaries dusky at anal ano-le. 

 Otus choer'ilm, myron. 



■ — — — 



It will be noticed, at once, that only the most superficial color 

 characters are used for the majority of the divisions, and that species 

 now considered generically identical, are often widely separated. For 

 instance, the genus Phlegetho)dius Hb., as used in Grote's List, con- 

 tains four species. In the Verzeichniss one of these is an Acherontia, 

 the same species under one of its synonyms is also a Cocytius, a sec- 

 ond species is a Phlegethoniius, a third an Agii'vs, while the fourth 

 is here omitted, but later on also described as a Phlegethontius. 



It is a])parent, also, that Hiibner did not bother himself in the 

 least about genera created by previous authors. Some terms like 

 Dellephilce, Smerinihi and Sesicp., are used to designate Tribes, but 

 the genera Sphinx, Smerinthus, Deilephila and Sesia, have disappeared. 



In every family, in every group, the question of how far the coiti 

 names are to be recognized, comes up as a puzzle to the student. 

 Whether to follow Boisduval and other European authors, and ignore 

 the work as without value, or, like Mr. Grote, to use it as a sort of 

 Alkoran, all the terms of which must in some way be brought into 

 use, whether it displaces other subsequent and more conscientious 

 describers or not. There certainly seems no reason why many of the 

 terms referring to correctly associated species should not be used, but 

 on the other hand, as Hiibner did not consider himself bound in any 

 way to recognize the genera of his predecessors, he cannot complain 

 (or his champions for him) that subsequent authors have treated his 

 illy-constructed coiti in the same way. 



In Stephens' Illustrations of British Ent. Haust. 1, 1828, the divi- 

 sion Crepiiscidaria is divided into Zygcenidce, Sphingidce, Sesiidce and 

 ^'Egerildce. The Sphingidre are divided among four genera as follows : 



Wings more or less angulated Snieriiitlius. 



Wings entire, acute. 



Maxillpe short Acherontia. 



Maxillse long. 



Antenuse scarcely clavate Sphinx. 



Autennse distinctly clavate Deilephila 



TRANS. AMER. ENT. SOC. XV. (9) MAY, 1888. 



