SPHINGID^. 7 



In Ireland generally very scarce but widely distributed, and 

 said to have been found as far north as Belfast. 



Common throughout Europe, and often much more richly 

 coloured than with us; also widely distributed through 

 Northern Asia, and, under the name of S, planus, in China 

 and .Ja])an ; also in some parts of North America, a slight 

 variety, found in California, being called >S', palliduhis. 



2. S. populi. L. — Expanse 3 to of inches. 



Pale brown or grey, fore wings with scalloped hind margin ; 

 hind wings with a brick-red blotch. 



Antenna of the male pectinated with strong tufts of 

 yellowish bristles, with the shaft white ; of the female pale 

 brown or whitish, with a double row of minute bristles. 

 Thorax, abdomen, and legs pale-brown or greyish-brown, the 

 former very stout. Fore wings strong and thick ; in the 

 male with the costa nearly straight to beyond the middle, 

 then much rounded to the apex, which is pointed ; in the 

 female more regularly rounded throughout: hind margin 

 waved, and regularly scalloped in hollows between the ner- 

 vures ; anal angle rendered prominent by a deep concavity in 

 the dorsal margin. Hind wings short, costal margin much 

 I'ounded, hind margin scalloped. 



Fore wings of the male pale grey or pale brown-grey; 

 near the base is an indistinct, oblique, curved, darker grey 

 transverse line; the whole central portion of the wing is 

 occupied by a broad band of darker grey or grey-brown, the 

 inner edge of which is oblique and slightly concave, the outer 

 edge much more oblique and scalloped throughout in regular 

 crescents between the nervures; beyond and parallel with 

 this is a complete dark-grey transverse line similarly scal- 

 loped, beyond which the hind marginal space, except near 

 the apex, is clouded with brown. Within the central band 

 and at the end of the discal cell is an ovate, or lunate, white 

 spot. Nervures rather sharply pale. Hind wings of the 

 colour of the fore wings, with three or four rippled trans- 



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