SPHINX HARRISII. 117 



Upper surface ; primaries ashen, with transverse undulate lines and shades ; two black streaks in the in- 

 terspaces between the median nervules ; fringes white, brown at termination of veins. 



Secondaries brownish, basal half pale, nearly white ; faint evidences <jf a mesial band ; fringe as on 

 primaries. 



Under surface brownish. Secondaries paler at abdominal margin. Fringe as above. 



Habitat. New England, Middle, and others of the Atlantic States. Rare. 



Larva is green, with lateral pale stripes, destitute of the caudal horn, and feeds on Pinus Sfrohus and 

 doubtless other species of Conifene. 



It has long been surniLsed tliat this species might be identical with Lapara Bombycoides, Walker,* which exists at present, as far 

 us is known, in the single type example in the Hopeian Collection at the University of Oxford ; originally it was contained in the 

 collection ot' Mr. Saunders, of London, England, where it was described Ijy Walker ;t afterwards the whole of the Helerocera of 

 Mr. Saunders' collection were added to the Oxford Museum. From lliis uniipie, whicli is in perfect condition, Prof. Westwood had the 

 kindness to make for me an accurate coloured drawing which represents an insect indeed allied to Sphinx Harri«ii, but separated from 

 it by the following differences, which Prof Westwood, to wliom I submitted a proof of the accompanying figure of Harrisii, has indi- 

 cated in a recent letter : Bombycoides is much more brownish in tint, not near so leaden grey ; (he thorax is destitute of all black lines ; 

 the dark dashes on middle, near inner margin of primaries, are more central and nearer to base of tlie wing; the secondaries are with- 

 out any appearance of dark central fascia; the fringe on anal margin is of same pale dull brown as the rest of wing; under surface 

 of all wings is uniform pale dull brown. 



The figure of Prof. Westwood is also larger than any example of Harrisii I have yet seen, being about 2J inches in expanse. 



In Grote's last List of N. Am. Sphingid;ehe has given Ellema Harrisii as a synonym of Bombycoides, but without stating any 

 rea.son for so doing. 



With Ellema Harrisii has long been confoun<led the previously described Sph. Coniferarum, which latter was long looked on as a 

 myth, owing doubtless to its great rarity. 



Dr. Clemens, in his Monograph in Jnl. Acad. Nat. Sc, Phila., states in connection with Sph. C'onifet arum : "The specimen 

 Dr. Harris described under this name, as I have ascertained from a photograph, was E. harrisii. This is probably likewise identical 

 with .S'. coniferarum. The discovery of the larva of harrisii will remove any doubt respecting the identity of the insects." 



It is not safe to depend entirely on pictures, be they ever so accurate or even photographic. Whether Dr. Clemens' opinion 

 above cited be correct or not, it is at least evident that Dr. Harris was acquainted with the larva> of Coniferarum, .Abbot & Smith, as he 

 says on page 328 (Ins. Inj. Veg., Ed. 1862) : "the curiously checkered caterpillar of Sphinx, Coniferarum on pines ;" the larva oi^ Har- 

 ri'.si'i is not "curiously checkered," but is green with lateral and sublateral stripes of yellow and white. 



SPHINX SEQUOIA. BoisDuvAL 



Lep. de la Californie (1869). 



Henri/ Edwards, Proc. California .\cad. Nat. Sc. (1873). 

 Hyloicus Sequoive, Grote, Bull. Buff. Soc, Vol. I, p. 27 (1873), Vol. II, p. 228 (1875). 



(PLATE XIII, FIG. 17 tS'-) 



Expands 2 inches. 



Head and body grey, two black lines on head extending thence along upper edge of tegulje; abdomen 

 with a black dorsal line, sides with alternate black and white bands. 



Upper surface, primaries grey, with short black streaks in the cells, and one transverse one, accompanied 

 by a shade near the exterior margin ; fringes brown and white alternately. 



Secondaries brownish, without marks ; fringes white on abdominal and inner half of exterior margins, 

 rest brown and white alternately. 



Under surface brownish grey. 



Habitat. California. Mus. Boisd., Hy. Edwards. 



The original of Fig. 17 was lent me by Mr. Henry Edwards, of California, and is, probably, with the exception of Dr. Boisdu- 

 val's type, the only example extant in any collection. In Mr. Edwards' Memoir on Pacific Coast Lep., above cited, he says: "I had 

 the good i^orlune to take a fine (j^ of this rare species in Bear Valley, in .June, 1872. It was hovering at mid-day over a pool of water, 

 darting down occasionally to drink. The specimen from which Dr. Boisduval made his description was captured by the late M. Lor- 

 quin, at Grass Valley, resting on the bark of a Redwood tree, (Sequoia sempervirens — Lamb.)" To Mr. Edwards I am indebted for the 

 opportunity of presenting the figure of this rare species. 



*C. B. M., Vol. VIII, p. 233 (1856).' 



t"Cinereous. Fore wings with a zigzag oblique black line, and with several lanceolate black marks. Hind wings brownish, 

 paler towards the base ; ciliae white. Length of the bodv 10 lines; of the wings 24 lines. 

 Canada. In Mr. Saunders' collection." Walker," C. B. M., Vol. VIII, p. 2.33. 



