48 

 on the 1st of August. The caterpillar is stated by the same author to be very destructive 

 in plantations of tobacco, the cultivators being obliged to pick them carefully off the young 

 plants. The chrysalis is of a chesnut colour, with a long nearly straight tongue case, 

 extending to the middle of the breast, and clubbed at the end. The moth is generally 

 seen in an evening, sucking the James-towTi weed and gourd blossoms, and continues 

 breeding all the summer ; the moth is common in the West Indies, as well as in Georgia 

 and Carolina. Dr. Brown says it is called the musquito hawk, from its appearing at that 

 time of the evening when those insects abound, and being vulgarly but erroneously sup- 

 posed to prey upon them. Abbot and Smith, he. cit. 



Specimens of this American insect have from time to time been captured in this 

 country. " It unquestionably cannot," however observes Mr. Stephens, " be considered as 

 indigenous, and ought to be rigidly excluded from our cabinets ; otherwise the most per- 

 plexing consequences must inevitably arise, to the total confusion of our inquiries into the 

 geographical distribution of insects. If this be admitted, as well might ' the noble 

 monarch of the forest,' because a captive lioness which had escaped from her prison was 

 retaken on Salisbury Plain." 



SYNTOMIS PHEGEA. 



Plate XXV. fig. 2. 



Order ; Lepidoptera. Section : Crepuscularia. ? Family : Zygajnidac, Leach. 



Genus. Syntomis, Illiger. Zi'G^na, Rossi. Fiibr, Sphinx, Linn. 



S YNTOMis Phegea. Viridi-atra alarum punctls fenestratis, anticarum sex, posticarum duohus ; abdomiue cingulo 



luteo. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 9 lin.) 

 Syn. Sphinx Phegea, Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 80.5. 35. God. Lepid. du Franc. 2>l. 22./. 14. 



Zygajna Quercus, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 111.1. 388. No. 6. 



Syutoniis Quercils, Latr. Genera Crust, et Ins. 4. ]}. 213. 



Sphinx du Pissenlit, Engram Pap. d'Eur. 



Habitat : Germany. 



Upper Side. Antennae black, filiform, with the tips white. Head and thorax black. Abdomen 

 dark green, almost black ; on the top, next the thorax, is a deep yellow spot like gold, and near the 

 extremity a ring of the same golden yellow extends just below the sides. Anterior wings dark green ; 

 having six transparent spots, one next the shoulders, two in the middle, and three next the tips. Poste- 

 rior wings of the same colour as the superior, with two transparent spots on them. 



Under Side. Breast and abdomen dark green ; on each side the breast are two golden yellow spots. 

 All the wings are coloured and marked as on the upper side. 



