( xiii ) 



(iiiiullarli in his i'oiilr. Kiil . ('»iliimn (ISsl). Tlic lunucv iiapcr was tlir host 

 wvitton on SiJiiinjIiliK- np to tliat timo. 



The C't'iifral Anu'rican Hawk Moths arc onnmei'atcd and partly described 

 and figured li)' H. Drnce in tlic liiol. Cfiitr. Aiiu'rirana, l.c/i. I let. riS.>*li — ISOO). 

 Till' sjiories occnrring in the Aru'iMitine l{o]>nl]lic arc dcah with i>y I'nrnieister 

 in his Prsrr. Rr'/i. Anji'litiiir Vol. V. (ISTS) and Atliis (l^T'.lj. Tin' di'scriptinns 

 and lii^-nres of the earlier stau'es arc ol' inipoi'tniiee, Imt several mistakes in 

 identitication oi-cnr. 



Then; is no list ol' the Alriean s)ieeies. 



Resides these more imi»)rtn,nt. win'l;s, which are pnrely systematic, tlii're are 

 treatises oi' another mitni'e, dealini;' with the markings and eolonr of lar\a,e, like' 

 Weismann's Stvdiis hi Ihr 'I'/n'orii ol' Drscciil, and Piepers's pa.per mi the 

 laTvae of i<,plihiijiihtc pidilishcd in the Tijiliichr. Ivnt. for lsi)7. 



All the systematic works referred to siilferei] from a, la.clc of knowh^dgc of 

 the raorjiliology of the S/ihiii(ii<l<ii'. Nenration, the organ jrencrally r<died upon 

 in the classilieation of IjCjiidoptcra, ln'ing of little assistance in tlie llawlc Moths, 

 tiie authors seized upon any superficial characters, and thus were led astray. 

 We hope to fill up that gap in our science by the present Revision- at least 

 to a certain extent. Nobody can lie more aware of the incompleteness of our 

 researches than ourselves. The subject is far too large to allow of being treated 

 after a, comparatively small number of years of study in any degree ap]iroachiiig 

 completeness. Nevertheless, we may fairly claim to have given a new fonndaiion 

 to the study of the Sjihiiifildnc. The groundwork for future researches is tlici'c : 

 future authors will more clearly see tluM'r way, and be able to concentrate their 

 ciforts on the elucidation of the numerous points only cursorily touched npun 

 in this He\ision. 



We have generally abstained from giving detailed description of any stage 

 of the known species ; but the keys to the genera and species, anil the indication 

 ol' some trenchant feature of shape, colour, pattern, or structure under each 

 species, will, we trust, be an (efficient guide also to those who wish to use the 

 work as a means of determining the names of the material in their collections. 

 Though we hope not to have missed any naines, we have not attempted to 

 give a coiiijilrff bililiography of all the sjiecies. 

 The work is divided into three ]iarts : — 

 I. General Subject. 

 II. Systematic Section. 

 Ill, ("ataloo'ue and Index. 



