( 21 ) 



it is a species without named ahs. and ram., thongh its individual variability is not in- 

 considerable. The frightening skull-mark, the symbol of death, apparently suppressed 

 all earthly vanity in those who were or are the possessors of aberrant specimens. 



The forewing is occasionally nearly all black, with the lines obscure and the white 

 or ochraceous scaling in the snbapical region obliterate ; on the other hand there occur 

 individuals with an unusually large ochraceous snbapical patch, Tlie discal band 

 of the hindwing is sometimes absent, or vestigial ; the outer liand is also occasionally 

 obsolescent. Seldom are both bands nearly fused to one ; more often is the external 

 one so enlarged distad that the yellow marginal spots are redneed to dots. The 

 amount of black on the underside of the wings is also variable ; the discal baud 

 of both wings is not rarely absent or vestigial, the stigma of the hindwing is 

 sometimes wanting. The slcull-mark of the thorax is very seldom absent. The 

 black segmental bands of the abdomen below are complete, and never reduced to 

 mesial spots. Some individuals have the underside of the abdomen nearly all 

 lilack ; in others, especially often in bred ones, the under surface of the body is 

 fuscous, in which case neither the yellow nor the black bands are clearly defined. 

 On such individuals as the latter Leech's assertion that those black bands are 

 sometimes (piitc absent from the abdomen of atropos may have been based. 



We do not find any difference in strnctnre or colour between the Aethiopian 

 and Palaearctic afrojios, but the tropical specimens are on average, especially in 

 the (? sex, smaller than the northern individuals ; we say expressly on an average, 

 as many Aethioi)ian examples snrpass the medium-sized Palaearctic ones. Antenna 

 short and stout, shorter than in the other sjiecies, more obviously so in ? than 

 ill c?, middle segments in ? at least four times as high as long (PI. LX. f. 20, 

 lateral view). Foretibia a little shorter than in the other species ; foretarsus 

 (PI. LXIV. 1'. 1) with numerous spines on the oiiter side of the first segment, 

 and more than one row on the onterside of the second and third segments ; middle 

 tibia obviously shorter than tirst tarsal segment, while in the other species it is as 

 long as this ; hinder tibia as long as tarsal segments 1 and 2 together. 



c?. Ventral process of harpe (PI. XXXV. f. 1) dentate, carinate on the upper 

 surface ; the upper j)roeess a triangular tooth, the broad sides of both processes 

 vertical. 



?. Vaginal aperture without special armature. 



Larva : a green, red-striped, and a brown form. — Food : Solanaceae, but also 

 observed feeding on Fra.dnus and other plants. 



Hub. The whole of the Aethiopian Uegion, the Palearctic Region as fiir north 

 as the Shetland and Lofodeu Islands (found once) ; eastward to Transcaucasia and 

 North Persia, westwards to the Azores. 



In the Tring Museum 80 specimens from various parts of Euroj)e and 

 ''ontincntal Africa, Azores, Madagascar, Mauritius, R6auion, besides a number of 

 lOuropean larvae and {lupae. 



'■). Acherontia styx. 



*Sj,hwj: (Arluro/itiii) shix Westwood, Cnli. Or. F.iit. p. 88. t. 42. f. 3 (1848) (E. Indies ;— Mus. Brit.). 

 Achii-iiiitiii Klij.r, Moore, in Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Lcp. ilia. E.I.C. i. p. 2CC. n. G14 (18,07) (Java, 



Penang, Dukbuii, Madras) ; Mi'niHr., Kiiuin. Corp. Anim. Mus. Fetr., Lrjj. p. 'J'i. n. 1.'j55 (1857) 



(Ind, or.) ; HoiKd., Sprc. din. Up. JUL i. p. n. 2 (1875) ; Hamps., in Blanf., Fauna Brit. 



hul., .\l„lhH i. p. (u. 11. 88. f. 40 (18'J2) ; Swiiih., Col. Li-p. Ilel. Ox. i. p. 30. n. 121 (181)2) ; 



Plep., TijiUvhr. Kill. xl. p. !)8. t. 1. f. 18. 19 (lioni of I.) p. 102. t. 4. f. 4 (larva) (18',I7). 

 A<:liir'i)itia inidiiAii Moore, I.e. (1857) (sub «ynon.) ; Bartel, I.e. ii. p. 25 (1899). 



