336 Insecta. 



stages of most of them are unknown. But Moss during a stay of 3 years at 

 Lima (Peru) carefully studied the life-histories and early stages of many forms 

 of Lepidoptera, and made coloured drawings of several larval instars in many 

 species, of pupae, food-plants etc. The present paper deals with the eaiiy stages 

 of the Sphingidae thus studied, including only those species whose identity is 

 established beyond doubt, 22 in number. They are dealt with in systematic order, 

 the number attached to each referring to Rothschild's and Jordan's "Revision 

 of the Sphingidae". They include one species [Profoparce mossi Jordan] new to 

 science. In each species is given an account of the general distribution ; des- 

 criptions of as many of the earlier stages as were observed, these being in many 

 cases complete, i. e. including ova, the several larval instars, and the pupa; and 

 notes on the habits, including observations on the proneness to attacks of para- 

 sites, behaviour at the time of pupation, form of the frass etc. The coloured 

 figures were made from life, and hence show the larvae in normal attitudes. 

 They show the great differences between the different larval instars: this is most 

 important, since the larvae in their first stages usually present characters which 

 afford evidence as to their affinities; while in later stages these primitive cha- 

 racters are often lost, and later adaptations are sometimes developed, which may 

 recur in species belonging to different groups, and hence afford no evidence of 

 affinities. Plate XV also shows the remarkable differences in the form of cer- 

 tain parts of the pupa in some closely-allied species and genera. 



In his Introduction [pp. 75 — 81] the author states that his researches were 

 made in 3 distinct entomological districts: (I) the irrigated and cultivated parts 

 of the seaboard region near Lima; (II) two zones on the West and East side of 

 the Andes respectively, extending between about 5000 and 12 000 feet, separated 

 by barren highlands over 12 000 feet but treated here as one district; and (III) 

 the luxuriantly tropical region of the Interior, on the East side of the Andes, 

 below about 5000 feet. Most of the observations were made in the first district. 

 There is much uncertainty in regard to times of appearance and the number of 

 broods in the year, but in general these phenomena are much less regulär than 

 in Europe. In the coast district the season from May to November is cold and 

 glooray with drizzling mists, while the rest of the year is bright and moderately 

 hot : considering a number of species together, larvae are fewest from July to De- 

 cember, imagines fewest from July toFebruary: both larvae and imagines are most 

 abundant inMarch: there is no month when at least-a few species cannot be found 

 either as larvae or imagines. But it is difficult to generalise, or speak with certainty 

 in regard to particular species. In the Interior the climatic conditions are the 

 converse of those on the coast, being hot and wet from November to May, less 

 hot and drier during the remainder of the year: as far as Observation goes, larvae 

 in this district are most abundant in March and April. In some cases a migratory 

 tendency was observed: imagines of certain species, whose food-plants are in the 

 Interior, were obtained in the coast-region, whither they had flown over the 

 Andes (p. 80\ H. Scott (Cambridge). 



1079) Kershaw, G. B., Oviposition of Tapinostola concolor. In: Entomologist, 

 Bd. 4.0, Heft 9, S. 25()— 258, 1912. 



1080) Edelsten, H. M. and Todd, R. G., Notes on the life-histories of Tapino- 

 stola concolor and T. helhnanni. Ibid., ßd. 45, Heft 10, S. 285— 287, Taf IX, 1912. 



The pairing, oviposition and ova of T. concolor are described in tlie first paper. The 

 second contains descriptiou.s of ova, larvae, and pupae of T. concolor and T. Iwllmanni, 

 with notes on the life-histories. In both spp. the '+ oviposits within the sheathing-leaf 

 of the flowcr-stem of the grasses Calamogrostis Iwnceolata and C. epigeios: the + anal 

 appendages are well adapted for prizing open the sheathing-leavea while the ovipositor 



