( 168 ) 



the comb strongly develojied, the reilnction of the comb and its disaiipearance taking 

 jilace hiter in the series of genera. It is worthy to emphasize again that tliere 

 is also no comb in the Spliiiiqiilicai'. The pnlvilhis liecomes small in a few species 

 and obliterates entirely in others. The paronychinm preserves the two lobes of 

 each side in most Ambulicitiae ; in some the ventral lobe disappears, in a few 

 genera both the ventral and lateral lobes. While in the SpkiJtgicae the pulvillns 

 disapjiears before the ])aronychinm, we find among the Ambuliciiiae forms in which 

 the same is the case, and also such in which the pnlvilhis is preserved and the 

 paronychial lobes are lost, as is the case in Spltingulus of the Acherontiine tribe 

 Sphinyulicae. The ventral lobe of the paronychium is often broader than the 

 lateral one, but it is never preserved when the lateral lobe disappears. 



The shai)e of the wing is characteristic of a great many Ambuliciiiae : in fact, 

 the insects are generally identified by Le[)idopterists as belonging to this subfamily 

 more by the aspect, the shape and colour of the wings and body, than by special 

 structural characters, and it is, therefore, quite natural that some species of other 

 subfamilies have erroneously been brought, by ])reviou8 authors, into tlie present 

 subtamily, and some members of the Amiiulicinac placed somewhere else. The 

 irregular distal margin of the wings which gives so many forms a certain resem- 

 blance to leaves is not confined to the Ambidicinac ; we meet again with a similar 

 shape among the Sesiinac and Fhilampi'linaf, but never among the Achcrontiinae, 

 which is very curious. The falcate forewing of many Amhnlicinae is found also 

 among the Philampclinae, Sesiinac, and the Chocrocampinae, not among the Aclicroii- 

 tiinae. These similarities have been mistaken for indications of closer relationship. 

 Many Ambidirinae are protectively coloured ; the forewing assuming grey and clayish 

 tints, and some resemble more closely an even-edged lanceolate leaf by the develop- 

 ment of a dark longitudinal line or shade representing the midrib (^Pki/Uoxiphia, 

 Clmiis). Though bright colours may be said to prevail among the Ambuliciiiae, 

 there are a great number of very soberly grey-coloured species. The discal streaks 

 li" — M- jjresent on the forewing of so many Acheroiitiinae do not ajipear here. 



The spines at the edges of the abdominal segments are always weak and elongate ; 

 they disappear, or rather become modified into scales, in several species, while on 

 the other hand, the underscales of the abdominal tergites are often spiniforra, there 

 being in some species no large dentate scales present on the tergites. The sternites 

 have only in the lowest forms {I'rotambiili/x and allies) some weak spines at the 

 edges ; the bulk of the Ambuliciiiae is without them. The abdomen is often curved 

 upwards as in some Spkingulicae. 



The peculiar organ of friction on the clas]ier of the S and the inner edge of 

 the eighth tergite resembles closely that found among the Arherontiinae in so far 

 as the modified scales of the clasper are small and form a patch, differing widely 

 from the enlarged friction-scales of the Sphingidae semanophorae. Sometimes 

 the friction-scales are reduced to dispersed hairs, or there are in their place only 

 dispersed granules. The patch is present in the lower forms (Protambuli/x and 

 allies) and disappears later on, all the more highly modified genera being without 

 it. The same applies to the patch of the Acker ontiinae. The regular ribbon of 

 enlarged scales at the edge of the eighth tergite, on the inner surface, most 

 conspicuous in Acaiithosphinx (PI. LIX. f. 1), is not met with in other subfamilies ; 

 it is also less regular than in Acanthosphiii.r in most other Ambuliciiiae with a 

 friction-patch on the clasper, and is sometimes replaced by rough, loug, narrow 

 scales, or is absent. 



