( 17 ) 



fourth TOW ; tliese lattyr spines fewer in uuiulier and .n'nulnally more ventro-laferal 

 on the distal segments : no comb of prolonged spines ; jmsterior tarsus as long 

 as the cell of the hiudwing. Pulvillus absent, iiaronyehium reduced to a short 

 broad lobe. Scaling of body and legs (inclusive of spurs of mid- and hindtibia) 

 woolly ; scales of the upper layer of the forewing multidentate, tbe teeth long and 

 thin, especially on the under surface, the scales of the hindwing longer, narrower, 

 partly hair-like, the broader ones deeply slit or long-toothed. 



c?. Tenth abdominal tergite long, slender, pointed (PI. XXVI. f. 20. 21), the 

 same in the three species of the genus ; harpe with two processes or teeth 

 (PI. XXXV. f 1. 2. 3) ; clasper sole-shaped, with a patch of large multidentate 

 friction-scales. Penis-sheath long and thin, without armature. 



? . Aperture of vagina with an elliptical rim ; eighth tergite shallowly sinuate. 



Larva with tuberculated horn, which is horizontal with the end recurved, 

 about --shaped. 



Pupa without free tongue case. 



Hab. Old World, except the Papuan snbregion, occurring as far east as Ceram 

 and the islands north of Timor. 



Three species. 



Much has been written about the sound produced by the imago. The origin 

 of this sound has often been erroneously attributed to friction. There can bo no 

 doubt whatever that the real cause of the squeak is the forcing of air through the 

 trunk, though it has not been ascertained with certainty whether this air comes 

 from cavities in the head or from some other source, for instance the sucking 

 bladder. The imago produces this sound occasionally when still enveloped by 

 the skin of the chrysalis. The larva makes another kind of sound, most likely 

 with the mandibles. 



Key to the species : 



a. Hindwing above with a large black patch in basal 



half . . . . . . . . 7. ^1. lachesis. 



Hindwing above with the basal half yellow . . . b. 



b. Abdomen beneath with black segmental bands . 8. A. atropos. 

 Abdomen beneath without black segmental bands, 



only with small black mesial spots . . .9. ^4. gtijx. 



7. Acherontia lachesis. 



Sjihiiij- iilniins, Stoll {linn Linai', 17.o8), ia Cramer, Pup. E.t. iii. p. 74. t. 237. f. A. (177',i) (Java) ; 



Gray, in Griffith, Anhn. Knujd. xv. t. 137. f. 4 (1832). 

 Sphiiij-. Imlirxix Fabricius, /Cut. Si/kI. Sujipl. p. 434. n. 26-7 (1798) (Ind. or. ;— Mus, Copenhagen) ; 



Auriv., Kril. Tiilsh: .wiii. p. 152. n. 79 (1897) (= lurjicsis of Moore, etc.). 

 Adieroidui murln HUbner, Ver::. Ijelc. ScJiiii. p. 140. n. 1496 (1822); Buth, Ti: Zwil. Sor. Loml. ix. 



p. .598. t. 92. f. 9 (/.) (1877) (Java, Hongkong, Assam, Ceylon) ; Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. 



Lmiil. p. .■)95 (1879) (Pt. Blair ; = satanas = lethe = V lachesis) ; Butler, Proc. Znol. Soc. 



Lund. p. 013 (18H1) (Kurachi, vii. viii., common) ; Swinh., iliUl p. 290. n. 24 (188.5) (Poonah, 



vi. viii. ; Bombay, viii. ix. ; Hound of /., variat. of /. ace. to food) ; id., I.e. p. 435. n. 15 (1886) 



Mhow, ii. ix.); Leech, Tr. KnI. Soc. Lon,l. p. 119. n. 00 (1889) (Kiukiang) ; Swinh., Tr. 



Enl. .Soc. Loud. p. 164. n. 21 (1890) (Moulmein) ; Hamps., Jl/ustr. Tijp. spccim. Lcp. Iltt. 



B..\t. viii. p. 2. n. 29 (1891) (Nilgiris, 6,000 ft.) ; Swinh., Cat. Lep. Ilk Mus. O.r. i. p, 30. 



n. 122 (1892). 

 (?) Hpei'trum clmron Billberg, I'lniun. his. p. 83 (1822) {mini niitl. ; Java). 

 *Acluronlvi Miianas Boisduval, Spec. Gen. Lip. i. t. 16. f. 1 (1836) (coll. Charles Oberthilr) ; 



Blanch., in Jacc|ucni., Voij. Ind. iv. p. 23. n. 19 (1844) ; Moore, in Ilorsf. & Moore, Cu.1. Lcp, 



C 



