AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 115 



On the Synonomy. etc. of certain species of American LEPIDOPTEEA. 



BY AUCx. R. GROTE, 



Curator of Entomology, Buflalo Society of Natural Sciences. 



SPHINX, Linn. 

 Sphinx harrisii {EUcma harrisii, Clemens). 



I have seen, in the collection of the British Museum, the specimens 

 determined as Anceri/x coniferariini by Mr. Walker in the British 

 Museum Lists (Lep, Pt. viii, p. 224). These are two in number ; the 

 first (ff) is a specimen of the Pjuropean Sphinx pinastri, and seems to 

 have furnished the basis of 3[r. Walker's diagnosis. The second {h) 

 is the true Sphinx coniferarum of Smith as figured by Abbot iu the 

 Lepidop. Ins. Ga." This individual agreed with other specimens from 

 Georgia in the collection of Dr. Boisduval iu Paris. Without mate- 

 rial of our Northern S. harrisii at hand for comparison, these speci- 

 mens seemed to me to constitute a distinct species, differing apparently 

 in the greater size and the fewer markings of the primaries; thus ap- 

 proaching the European Sphinx pinastri closer than does Sphinx har- 

 risii. ]Joth forms (assuming them to be distinct between themselves) 

 are to be at once distinguished from Sphinx pinastri; by their imma- 

 culate abdomen. However, until specimens of Sphinx coniferarum. 

 Smith, are received from the Southern States and compared with our 

 Northern Sphinx harrisii, the question of the specific validity of the 

 latter cannot be settled. 



I have also seen an original drawing by Abbot of Sphinx conifera- 

 rum, Smith, through the kindness of Dr. Gray. As compared with 

 the British Museum specimen of the species (alluded to above) it en- 

 tirely agreed, but when compared with the engraved Plate in Smith's 

 work it difi"ered slightly in that the markings of the primaries were 

 less prominent ; these had been somewhat exaggerated by the engra- 

 ver. 



With regard to Sphinx bombycoides (^Lapara homhycoides, Walker), 

 described very briefly in the British Museum Lists front a Canadian 

 specimen in Mr. Saunder's Collection, I am of opinion that it will prove 

 to be identical with Sphinx harrisii, although the short diagnosis af- 

 fords no certainty on the subject. 



Both S. coniferarum and S. harrisii belongs to Hyloicus Huhner, of 

 which S. (Hyloicus) pinastri of Europe is typical, and which is now 



