SMERINTHUS EXCAECATA. 55 



somewhat triangular median space crossed with shades of darker hue, from this outwards arc various transverse 

 wavy lines and shades of brown ; a small black discal spot ; cmarginations acutely dentate and white. Sec- 

 ondaries, base and middle rose color; costal and exterior margins fawn color, on the former some paler lines ; 

 a large black ocellus with a single blue pupil ; a pale brown shade crosses the wing transverselj' from the apex 

 to the ocellus, and beyond this to the anal angle, where it assumes a darker color, and with which it connects 

 the latter ; cmarginations white. 



Under surface ; primaries, basal half rose colored, exterior to this is a pink transverse band, traversed 

 and edged with brown lines, beyond which to the exterior margin the space is chocolate brown with an uneven 

 pink transverse line widest in tlie middle, where it joins the inner band of same color; a dark yellow patch 

 at posterior angle. Secondaries, chocolate brown with a pink median band, which is joined outwardly in tho 

 middle by a triangular spot of the same color ; dark yellow apical and anal dashes. 



Female. Expands 3 to 3} inches. 



Marked as iu the male but paler in color, and the rosy hue of upper surface of secondaries extends to the 

 exterior margin. 



The larva is light green, palest on the back, with white granulations, pale yellow stripes on the sides, and 

 green caudal horn. It feeds on the leaves of various kinds of Apple, and according to Abbot on the ^Yild Rose 

 (Rosa Carolina). ]\Ir. Lintner also found it on Maple. 



It is the commonest of our species and occurs throughout the Atlantic States as well as in Ohio, Ken- 

 tucky, Indiana, &c., &c. 



Some Lepidopterists consider Geyer's figures, 835, 836 in the "Zutrage," as representing a distinct species, 

 this theory is advocated by Grote & Robinson in the notes appended to their Cat. of 1805,* and in Grote's 

 Cat. of 1873, to both of which I have referred in the introductory remarks to this paper; I cannot imagine 

 how any one after seeing Geyer's figures could for a moment sujjpose them to represent anj^thing else than 

 Excaecata, they are certainly more recognizable than Abbot's,t which has the primaries painted rose color like 

 the secondaries, besides, Geyer's descriptive remarksj are pertinent and to the point; he even mentions that 

 the female (of which he gave no figure) is generally larger and less bright in color ; he gives its locality as 

 Pennsylvania. 



The most astounding revelation that we find regarding this species is where Prof. Packard tells us in his 

 Guide that the ocellus or eye-like spot of hind wings has " two or three blue pii{)ilsl"§ such utterly erroneous 

 and culpably careless assertions are the more lamentable as the book in question was sought after more parti- 

 cularly by beginners and those who had not yet acquired the knowledge sufficient to discriminate between the 

 chaff and the good grain. 



SMERINTHUS MYOPS. Abeot & smitu. 



Insects of Georgia, Vol. I, p. 51, t. 26, (1797.) 



M 



(PLATE A^II, FIG. 9, <^.) 



Male axd Female. ExpanJ 2^- to 2 J inches. 



Head and body chocolate and purplish brown ; a golden yellow dorsal ridge on thorax. On each side 

 of abdomen a row of irregularly shaped yclloW' spots; a dark brown dorsal line. 



Upper surface ; primaries purplish brown ornamented with lines and shades of rich chocolate ; a brown 

 discal dot ; a bright yellow spot near tho inner angle and another not far from the apex. Secondaries yellow, 

 broadly bordered with chocolate at the costa and outer half of exterior margin ; a yellow spot at apex ; two 

 pale transverse lines on brown margin near and at the costa ; a black ocellus, with blue centre, between ;vhich 

 and the inner margin the color is pale brown and purplish. 



Under suriace ; primaries, basal half yellowish and plain ; outer half marked and colored as above, but 

 more brilliantly. Secondaries with a median band, comjjoscd of alternate pale and dark lines, succeeded out- 

 wardly by a somewhat broken one of rich yellow, the space beyond which to the margin is chocolate. 



* *' SMERINTHUS PiVONiNrs : A hitherto unideutiflcd, and, since Geycr wrote, unnoticed species of Smerinthvs, which the author mentions havini; 

 received from Pennsylvania. It seems allied to .s". Excaecatus^ while Geyer compares it with the European 5. Occllatas ; compared with the former 

 Geyer's figures offer too many points of distinctiveness to allow us to consider it us the species intended. " Grote £c Kobinson, Proc. Ent. Soc, of 

 Fhila., Vol. V, p. 185, 



tAbbot & Smith, Insects of Georgia, t. 25, (1797.) 



i"PAONiAS Pavonina: Die-e unserer Sph. Ocellata sehr verwando art ist jedoch durch die eckigere gestalt der vorderfluge!, ihre durchaus 

 braune Grundfarbe und deutlichere Zcichnuug, so wie durch den blinden Augcnfleck der hiuterflugel, von der anyefuhrten genugend untersehciden. 

 Das Weib is gewohnlich viel grosser, und in der Farbung weuiger bunt. Heimiith, Pcnnsylvanien, von Herrn Grimm." Geyer, Zutrago zur 

 Sammlung Exotiseher Schmetterlinge, p 12, (1837.) 



§"5. Excaeiatus, Smith has the hind wings rosy on tho inner angle. The "ocellus" or eye-like spot is black, with two or three blue pupils." 

 Packard's Guide to the study of Insects, p 275, (1869.) 



