NORTH amp:rican lepidoptera. 151 



There has been some difficulty in dividing this subfamily. A few 

 of the genera there is no trouble with, such as Amplioiiyx, Dlloplw- 

 nota and Cautethia, and these I place at the head of the series. 



Amphonyx contains one of the largest of our American species, 

 and the genus is easily recognizable by the prominent head, large, 

 unlashed eyes, untufted thorax and the peculiar naked hooked ter- 

 minal joint of palpi, which look like a pair of small horns out of 

 the vestiture of the head. 



Dilophonota shares this latter peculiarity in some species, in a 

 much less marked degree, but is evidently distinct by the thoracic 

 divided crest, which is unique in the subfamily. 



Cautethia contains a single small S[)ecies with prominent head and 

 eyes, untufted thorax and body, and unarmed legs. The secondaries 

 are reddish or orange. 



The remainder of the genera offer no salient characters, except in 

 Ellema, which has the tongue obsolete. The characters here used 

 are primarially the lashed or unlashed eyes, an extremely uncertain 

 character ; the armature of the legs, which here is unreliable and 

 very variable, and some slight differences in the wing form. A ref- 

 erence of all the species to the genus Sphinx would not be indefen- 

 sible, and it becomes a mere question of the desirability of subdivi- 

 sion. Prof. Fernald j)laces S. plebeius in Hyloicus, and yet cannot 

 quite satisfy himself that it is not congeneric with Phlegethoniius 

 Species not seen by Prof Fernald, liowever, make a connection with 

 Sphinx complete, while the only things separating Ceratomia from 

 Hyloicus are the unlashed eyes and slightly retracted head, charac- 

 ters in which cupressi forms almost the exact intermediate. It is, 

 therefore, nothing at all but a question of convenience. The order 

 of arrangenient is similarly complicated by forms like hykeus, which 

 are somewhat aberrant wherever placed. After due consideration 

 the following scheme seems not unnatural : 



First in the series might come Protoparce, with i-ather distinct or 

 prominent head, unlashed eyes, very long tongue, sparsely or non- 

 spinose fore tibite and armed fore tarsi. 



To this Sphinx will join naturally. The eyes are smaller, head 

 more retracted, eyes lashed, anterior tibise always, middle tibi^^ gen- 

 erally, spinose, fore tarsi variable as to armature. 



Dolba is sphingiform in appearance and has similarly lashed eyes, 

 differing in the entirely non-spinose legs. It bears a superficial re- 

 semblance in ornamentation to Protoparce rudica, but is very much 

 smaller. 



