ODEEKNT NOTES. 233 



filled with honey, to the exclusion of air, Steinert (Tris, [[., 277) 

 reports the sound to have been heard from a jjupa, before exclusion, 

 though in a fainter measure. Similar, but less audible sounds, have been 

 reported in other Sj)hingidae,. Tlie sound produced by A. atropos, has 

 been commonly likened to the squeaking of a mouse. Dr. Pabst com- 

 pares it in quality of tone to that creaking sound produced by the 

 beetles Aromia moschata, L., and Lema asparwji, L., while far greater 

 in volume. 



The Acherontmae are peculiar to the Old World, and though the 

 genus has been reported from Mexico, it would seem to l)e an error 

 produced by the resemblance in ornamentation to the Sphingid genus 

 PhIr(jefhonfins, in which latter, however, the antenna? are about twice, 

 and the tongue very many times as long. According to Grote, 

 neither genus nor group occurs in either North or South America. It 

 is to be regarded as a probable development of the Sphiiujinae, after 

 these had left the central more generalized Smerinthoid type of the 

 family. The Acherontinae have inferentially, from all their characters, 

 reached a stage of evolution precluding the idea of further advance or de- 

 velopment in their direction. The short antenna?, the great development 

 of the muscles of the thorax, the comi)aratively broad and short wings, 

 the adaptation of the tongue to feeding upon honey gathered by other 

 insects, these, and other features, seem to have attained a certain com- 

 pleteness of expression which, while pointing to an extended antecedent 

 history, appear to warrant the view that the Acherontmae are the last 

 of a long line. While it is not possible to give in a linear series the 

 probable develoi)ment of a family, the arrangement first proposed by 

 Mr. Grote, to give the Sinerinthinae a central position, makes this view 

 presentable in a collection. This is attained by arranging the family 

 in the series : Mdcroylossinae, Choerocampinae, Sinerinthinae, Sphiiu/inae, 

 Acherontinae. The arrangement of the English genera would be : — 

 Heinaris, Macroglossa, Deilephila, Ciioerocamjya, Smerinthus, Sj^hinx, 

 Arherontia. 



Mr. J. Hartley Durrant, F.E.S. relates {E.M.M., May) the way in 

 which he succeeded in capturing S. pygmaeana in some abundance at 

 Merton, in Norfolk, last year. The insect was met with from March 

 25th to April 15th ; at the latter date the specimens were getting worn, 

 so that the hunt was given up. This year the species had not put in 

 an appearance by April 3rd. At first the captures were made from 

 isolated high spruce firs, but, as the moths have a tendency to fly 

 round the tops of the trees, progress was slow. By a happy inspiration 

 Mr. Durrant was led to work the spruce hedges which border the grass 

 drives in the Merton kitchen garden. Here his success was immediate 

 and striking ; for whereas he had only succeeded in capturing 32 

 specimens in 13 days from the trees, a couple of honrs' work at the 

 hedges yielded 33. The <? appeared to fly freely for about half-an- 

 hour at mid-day, and after this time could be beaten out from the sunny 

 side of the hedges, but was only to be met with from about 12.30 to 

 4.30. For some time males only were captured (with one or two ex- 

 ceiitions) but at last Mr. Durrant discovered that whilst the males, 

 when disturbed by the beating-stick, fly out, the females dro]) to the 

 ground like a stone. After this discovery he caught as many females 

 as males. April 15th is suggested as probably about the date when 

 under normal conditions the species will be well out. 



