

MACROGLOSSA ERATO. Bcisduval. 



Lep. Cal., (Ann. Soc. Ent. Bel. XII), p. (io, (1S6.S). 

 £«&/-, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lnnci., IX, p. 629, (1S77|. 



Euproserpinus Phaeton, Grote & Rob., Proc. Kiit. Soc. Phil., V, p. 178,' (1805), Tran.s. Am. Enl. Soc, IT, p. 181, (1808). Hy. 

 Edwds., Proc. Cal. Acad. Sc, (1875). 



(PLATE XIV, FIG. 1.) 



This rare little species luiving been described at length by Dr. Boisduval, and also by Grote & R., as I 

 give a figure of tlie upper surface I may be spared from nauseating the student by further repetition except to 

 add that the under side of primaries is wiiite bordered witli fuscous at outer margin, and secondaries pale yellow 

 witli Ijlack border outwardly. 



It occurs in Los Angelos County and jn-obalily in otiier parts of Southern California. I ain indebted for 

 the possession of the original of the accompanying figure, which was taken by the late G. R. Crotch, to the 

 enduring goodness of the great savan, Dr. H. Hagen. 



The name Phaeton adopted by Grote cannot for a moment be entertained as his original description in Proc. Ent. Soc.,_V, 178, 

 was made from a picture and not from any real in.sicct, for particulars of which piratical attempt see foot-note on page 113 of this work. 



Several years later when Grote accompanied his patron Robinson on a visit to Europe they received the species from Dr. Bois- 

 duval ancT on their return home gave from said example their re-description, which however was not in time to supersede that of 

 Boisduval published in Ann. Soc. Ent. Beige, (XII, p. 05). To these circumstances Dr. Boisduval alludes in the Lep. Het. (Suites a 

 BufFon), p. 303, (1874), where he says that at the desire of MM. Grote & Robinson he presented them witli this rarity as well as many 

 other Heterocerous Lep., as they were anxious to h.ive them to illustrate some articles on the Lep. Het. of the LJnited State.s, and he 

 further adds that he cannot understand why thev substituted the name of Phaeton for his name of Erato* 



On the appearance of the above Grote "delivered himself in the Canadian Ent. (VIII, p. '28, 1876), along with other equally 

 savory and modest matter, of the following: " Euproserpinus phaeton G. & R. Dr. Boisduval (Suites a Buft'on, 1874, 363) says as to the 

 species which he calls Maeroglossa phaeton^ quoting Grote and Robinson's original description, that he does not know by what chance we 

 changed the name of this species from erato to phaeton. This remark is based on a misunderstanding." He then goes on to say that 

 when he and his colleague first described this species from a picture and from information received from Mr. S. Calverly, who_ also 

 stated that the species was described in MSS. by Dr. Boisduval as Proserpinus phaeton, that ''we preserved Dr. Boisduval's name, giving 

 him in our paper credit for the species." 



Would the reader like to know how Grote gave Dr. Boisduval credit for the species ? By referring to the description in question 

 he will see this line : " It appears tbat Dr. Boisduval has etiquetted a specimen in his cabinet as Proserpinus Phaeton ; " that is the way 

 he gave him credit for the species. 'tVasn't it a noble way? Who will dare doubt after this that nobility of soul still finds an abiding 

 place in the human breast? Further on in the same article Grote states that Dr. Boisduval lent him and his colleague an example 

 from which for the first time thev made their description from the real insect, (in Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, 1878), adding that "at about 

 the same time Dr. Boisduval published the .species under the name of erato." Thus goes on this Sir Arrogantissimiis from foul to 

 fouler, bewraying himself with the tilth of his own conceit ; for o'f a verity, hath it not been most truly said by the world-renowned 

 Sancho Panza that the higher a monkey climbs the more he- exposes himself to shame and ridicule. 



PTEROGON TERLOOII. Hy. Edwards. 



(Proserpinus T.) Proc Cal. Acad. Sc, (1875). 



(PLATE XIV, FIG. 2, <^.) 



Fully described in the work above cited. The figure on pltite XIV was drawn from one of the two orig- 

 inal types" loaned for the purpose bymy very dear friend, Dr. H. Behr, in whose coll. are the only two exain|des 

 so far known to science. The under side of ))riinaries is greenish yellow shaded broadly in the middle with 

 dull red. Secondaries aL^o greeni.sh yellow with a taint median band of a shade darker. It is closely allied to 

 the Eur. P. Proserpina, Pall. {Oenotherae, Scliitf.). Descril)ed from two c? taken at Mazatlaii, Mex., by the 

 late Baron Terloot, to whom the species was dedicated by its author. 



SMERINTHUS IMPERATOR. Nov. Sp. 



(PL.'VTE XIV, FIG. 3, $.) 



Female. Expands 4| inches. 



Head above yellow fawn colour, thorax violaceous grey, not dark ; abdomen yellowish fawn shaded, sonie- 



*Nous avons prete cette rarete a MM. Grote et Robinson, ainsi que phisieurs autres Lepidopteres heteroceres pour qu'ils puissant, 

 selon leur desir, les faire figurer dans un ouvrage qu'ils ont entrepris .sur les Lepidopteres Heteroceres des Etats-Unis d'Amerique. 

 Nous ne savons pas par quel hasard ces messieurs ont change notre nom d'Erato pour lui substituer celui de Phaeton. 



125 



