186 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF ATTACUS ATLAS, Lywy., 
AND ITS ALLIES, WITH REMARKS ON SOME OTHER 
SPECIES OF THE GENUS. 
By W. F. Kirsy, F.L.S., F.E.S8., Assistant in Zool. Dept., British 
Museum (Nat. Hist.), 8. Kensington. 
Waite lately looking over the British Museum collection of 
Attacus, 1 made some notes on synonymy, &c., which I think 
will be found interesting to lepidopterists. 
Genus Artacus, Linn. 
Phalena Attacus, Linn., Syst. Nat. 1. (2), p. 809 (1767). 
Attacus atlas, Linn. 
Bombyx atlas, Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p. 495, n. 1 (1758); Mus. 
Uly. p. 366 (1764). 
Saturnia silhetica, Helf., Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, vi. p. 41, n. 4 
(1837). 
The commonest Indian form of this group, with two well- 
marked transparent spots on the front wings. It differs much 
in size, and the largest specimen in the British Museum expands 
very nearly a foot; it is probably the largest lepidopterous 
insect known. ‘This insect generally stands as Attacus atlas in 
collections, and appears to correspond to the typical Linnean 
description of the species. Attacus talus, Hubn., lorqunit, Feld., 
and taprobanis, Moore, appear to me to be only varieties of this. 
Var. a. Attacus talus, Hubn. 
Attacus talus, Hubn., Verz. bek. Schmett. p. 156, n. 1615 
(1822 ?). 
Aurivillius (Vet. Akad. Handl. (2), xix. (5), p. 144) quotes 
Cramer, Pap. Exot. t. 9, a. as the typical figure of Attacus atlas, 
Linn. In this he is so far correct that it agrees fairly with © 
Petiver’s figure, Gaz., t. 8, f. 7, which is the first cited by Linné, 
and which I should also have been inclined to regard as authori- 
tative, but that Linné alludes to the second transparent spot on 
the front wings. The specimens most nearly agreeing with 
these figures in the British Museum are from Burmah. The 
transparent spots are of considerable size and breadth, and the 
second transparent spot on the front wings is generally absent. 
Hubner calls this form Attacus talus. It is also figured by 
Olivier as Bombyx ethra, Ene. Méth. Atlas, t. 9, fig. 2. Attacus 
atlas, Geyer (Samml. Ex. Schmett. i1.), from China, also seems 
to belong here. 
Var. b. Attacus lorquini, Feld. 
Attacus lorquinii, Feld., Wien. Ent. Mon. v. p. 806 (1861) ; 
Maass. & Weym. Beitr. Schmett. i. ff. 46, 47 (1878). 
