( Hi ) 



Mcfjiiiwtwt ni'.^lor, ill., /./•. ii, 3 (1892) (Hiiiuilu.ya) ; IIuwc, Ilcrl. Knt. Zcitschi: xl. p. 3(;7. n. 4(1 (1895) 



(Java). 

 Pscuihisiihinx (liscixtriyu, Ilampson («o« Walker, 1850), I.e. p. 105. n. 1G9 (1892) (partitn) ; id., 



JUiixlr. Typ. Spec. Lep. lid. U.M. ix. p. 3. n.52 (1893)(partim) ; Pagenst., in Chun, Znohiyica xii. 



1. p. 17. n. 17 (1901)) (pai-tira ; Ralum, N. Britain = N. Pommern). 



S ?. Tenth iibdominal tergite (IM. XXVI. f. l',») resembling in a dorsal view 

 that of Ilerse coiivolmili, slenderer in a lateral view, gradually narrowed to a point. 

 Clasper sole-shaped, rounded-dilated dorsally before end, ventral margin oblic^ue ; 

 harjje (PI. XXXV. f. 8) with a broadly sickle-shaped distal process, which points 

 dorsad, and is armed at the rounded ventro-distal edge with long suberect teeth, 

 the most proximal tootli broad ; s])ines of clasper near harpe longer than in the 

 species of Ilerse. Penis-shcath unarmed externally, as broad as in Herse. Vaginal 

 jdate see above. 



The specimen recorded by Pagenstecher from Kalum {Dahl, 3. i. 'U?) is in the 

 Berlin Museum, where we have examined it. It is obliqua. Pagenstecher himself 

 says, I.e., that the individuals recorded by him as discistriya correspond to the 

 obliqua and discistr/(/a forms. Following Hampson, unfortunately too closely, 

 he gives as synonyms of (Uscistiiga — which should stand as menephron — three 

 distinct species ; the four species thus treated as one belong, in fact, to three 

 genera. 



There is no species with which ohliqua could be confounded, if one compares 

 the palpi, or the size of the thorax, or the pattern of the body and wings. 



The insect is apparently rare, Xtut lias a wide range. 



Ifah. Ceylon, N. India to the Bismarck Archipelago, probably in all the Indo- 

 Malayan and the Papuan countries, but so far found only — to our knowledge — in 

 Ceylon, Burmah, Sumatra, Java, Neu Pommern (N. Britain). 



In the Tring Museum i 6S,\ ? from: Ceylon; Bassein; Burma ; Benkoelen, 

 W. iSumatra (Ericsson). 



III. ACHERONTIA.— Typus : atropos. 



Sphiiu- Linni', Stjd. Nut. ed. x. p. 489 (1858) (partim) ; type : ocellata). 



Acherotilia ha^peyres, Jenakchc Ally. Lit. Zcil, iv. p. 99 (1809) (type: ali-o/in.<<) ; Oclip., Srhin. 



Eur. iv. p. 44 (181C). 

 Atropos Oken, Lehrh. Naturg. iii. p. 702 (1815) (typo : (drupim). 

 Bnichi/glossa Boisduval, Lul. Mrth. p. 33 (1829) (nom. maximo supervac. ; Aclirronthi cit. sub 



synon. !!). 

 Mamhira Hubuer, TmUiia. p. 1 (180G) {m,m. iaih'><cr.!) ; Kirby, Cat. Lrp. Ilet. i. p. 700 (1892). 



As Manduca of Hiibner is a name without definition, it is not a scientific term, 

 and cannot supersede Acherontia. Hiibner himself employed the name later on 

 not for a genus, bat for a whole "stirps." 



cJ?. Tongue short, very thick, hairy, ojiening before end large, dorsal. Palpi 

 not touching each other, second segment a little shorter than the first ; carina of 

 clyi>cus and base of tongue visible. Antenna thick, much shorter than the forewing 

 is broad at its widest point. Body very stout. Legs short and stout ; anterior 

 tibia short, a little longer than the cell of the hindwing is broad ; spur reaching 

 end of tibia ; lateral spines of anterior tarsus heavy ; middle and hinder tarsi 

 strongly compressed, spines heavy ; two ventral rows, besides an interno-lateral 

 row of shorter ones, and a number of dorsal and subdorsal spines representing the 



