669 



SPHIGURUS. 



SPIGELIA. 



870 



the Faroe Islands. An analysis, by Gelilcn, of a specimen from Icelanc 

 gave 



Silica 55-61 



Alumina 16'68 



Lime 8-17 



Soda 1-53 



Water 19-30 



101-29 



SPHIGU'RUS. [HYSTRICID.E.] 



SPHINCTER (from a<fiyya, 'I restrain') is a name applied gene- 

 rally to the muscles which close the external apertures of organs, as 

 the sphincter of the mouth, of the eyes, &c., and more particularly 

 to those among them, whicb, like the sphincter ani, have the pecu- 

 liarity of being, during health, in a state of permanent contraction, 

 independently of the will, and of relaxing only when it is required 

 that the contents of the organs which they close should be evacuated. 

 [NERVOUS SYSTEM.] 



SPHI'NGID^E, a family of Lepidopterous Insects belonging to the 

 section Crepuscularia ; in fact, regarding the family in its most 

 extended sense, it composes the section named. 



The section Crepiacularia by most authors is placed between the 

 Diurnal and Nocturnal Lepidoptera (sections Uiuma and Noctuma), 

 and corresponds with the genus Sphinx of Linnaeus. 



The insects belonging to this division generally fly in the evening, 

 or early in the morning, but there are many which fly in the day 

 time. The body is usually stout, and in the typical species remark 

 able for its pointed apical portion ; in some the body is cylindrical. 

 The antenna; are moderately long, angular, and generally increase in 

 thickness from the base, and terminate in an elongated club, having 

 the apex pointed and recurved. The wings when at rest are usually 

 a little inclined, but sometimes horizontal, and in some species the 

 inferior wings project beyond the upper margin of the superior. 

 These inferior wings are provided at the base of their upper margin 

 with a bristle-like spine, which, passing through a hook of the upper 

 wing, serves to unite the two wings. The spines in question are 

 visible upon viewing the under side of the insect ; they are also found 

 ill the Nocturnal Lepidoptera, but here the antennae are stoutest at 

 the base, gradually decreasing in thickness. The larvie are always 

 provided with sixteen legs, six thoracic, eight abdominal, and two 

 anal. In the more typical Sphingida the larvae are moreover provided 

 with a spurlike process on. the upper surface of the last segment of 

 the abdomen, the point of this somewhat curved and horny process 

 being directed backwards. 



According to the views of some authors, the C'repuscularia con- 

 stitute a family, but most modern writers regard this division as one 

 of higher value, and divide it into several families. 



The following are the characters of four families adopted in 

 Stephens's ' Illustrations of British Entomology : ' 



fliftinyiiltf. Antenna) prismatic, sometimes serrated towards the 

 middle, ciliated slightly in the males, terminated by a scaly seta, or 

 naked filiform appendage : palpi short, 3-jointed, densely clothed with 

 hair or scales, the terminal joint minute ; abdomen conical, not tufted 

 at the apex ; larva exposed, cylindrical, or attenuated anteriorly, with 

 a horn on the last segment, naked, sometimes granulated, the sides 

 frequently with oblique or longitudinal stripes ; pupa subterranean, 

 or subfolliculated. 



The family embraces some of the largest European Lepidoptera : 

 among others may be mentioned the Death's-Head Hawk-Moth 

 (Ackerontia Atropot of modern authors ; Sphinx Atropos of Linnaeus), 

 an insect not uncommon in some parts of England, and which measures 

 from tip to tip of the expanded wings usually a trifle less than 

 five inches. Its general colour is dark, the superior wings being 

 mottled with brown, black, and yellow ; the body is yellow, has a 

 longitudinal black dorsal mark, and narrow black bands ; the uuder 

 wings are also yellow, and have two black bands ; on the thorax are 

 pale markings, which bear some resemblance to a skull. The larva is 

 of a greenish-yellow colour, with the back speckled with black, and 

 transverse Literal lines partly blue and partly white. It feeds upon 

 the potato plant, jasmine, &c. When full-^rown the larva measures 

 about five inches in length ; and when about to assume the pupa 

 state, it buries itself in the ground. " Towards the end of September, 

 or the beginning of October," says Mr. Stephens, " the imago is pro- 

 duced, and, like the rest of the group, flies morning and evening only. 

 The conspicuous patch on the back of its thorax, which has consider- 

 able resemblance to a cranium, or death's-head, combined with the 

 feeble cry of the insect, which closely resembles the noise caused by 

 the creaking of a cork, more than the plaintive squeak ing of a mouse, 

 has caused the insect to be looked upon by superstitious persons as 

 the 'harbinger of death, disease, and famine,' and their sudden 

 appearance in Bretagne, as we are informed by Latreille, during a 

 season while the inhabitants were suffering from an epidemic disease, 

 tended to confirm the notions of the superstitious in that district, and 

 the disease was attributed by them entirely to the visitations of these 

 hapless insects." 



The Death's-Head Moth is at times very troublesome to the keepers 

 of bee-hivea, which it robs of the honey. [BEE.] 



Zygcenida. Antennas fusiform, sometimes bipectinated, without a 

 fascicle of scales at the apex ; head smooth ; palpi short or elongated, 



clothed with long scales or hair, the terminal joint elongated ; abdo- 

 men cyliudric, with a slight tuft at the apex ; larva exposed, fusiform, 

 slightly villose, not tailed; legs minute; pupa folliculated. 



The insects of this family, observes Mr. Stephens, are of a gregarious 

 nature, and, unlike the Sphingidae, they fly chiefly by day. Their 

 flight is very heavy and slow. Their caterpillars subsist upon the 

 leaves of divers plants, and they form a silken web in which they 

 change to pupae. 



The species of this group are generally very brilliant in their 

 colouring, and many exotic species have the wings transparent in 

 parts. Examples of two genera are found in this country, /no and 

 Anthrocera (or Zygoma). Of the former of these genera but oue 

 English species is known, /no Statices, an insect measuring from the 

 points of the expanded wings rather more than an inch. Its superior 

 wings are of a brilliant green-colour, and the inferior are brownish. 



The genus Anthrocera contains several indigenous species: the 

 superior wings are usually of a deep metallic green-colour, spotted 

 with red, and the under wings are red margined with black. The 

 species are known by the name Burnet-Moth. The Six-Spotted Burnet- 

 Moth (A nthrocera Filipendula) measures nearly an inch and a half iu 

 width, the wings being expanded, and has six red spots on the superior 

 wings. It is very common in various parts of England, making its 

 appearance in meadows, &c. about the end of June. The caterpillar 

 is yellow, spotted with black. It feeds upon the plaintain, trefoil, 

 dandelion, &c. 



tieiiidce. Antennae prismatic, ciliated in the males, slightly hooked, 

 the apex terminating in an oblique scaly process ; palpi short, clothed 

 with scales, the terminal joint extremely minute ; abdomen conical, 

 with the apex tufted ; larva naked, with a horny appendage ou the 

 hinder segment; pupa smooth, without spines, inclosed in a cocoon 

 upon the ground. 



To this family belongs the Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth (Macro- 

 gloiaa sletlatarum), an insect not uncommon in various parts of 

 England. Of this species Mr. Stephens says there are usually three 

 broods in the year, appearing respectively at the end of April, June, 

 and August ; some of the last brood have been known to hyberuate. 

 The moth measures in width about an inch and three-quarters, or 

 rather more, and is of an ashy-brown colour; the upper wings have 

 two transverse waved black marks ; the under wings are of au orange- 

 colour, edged with black, and on the sides of the body are some 

 white patches. This insect flies about iu sunny weather, and is 

 remarkable for the swiftness of its motions; in which respect it 

 greatly resembles the humming-bird, as well as in its habits of 

 feeding upon honey, which it extracts from the flowers by means 

 of its enormously long proboscis, but without settling upon the 

 plant. 



Other species of the present family are found iu England. They 

 constitute the genus Scsia, and are distinguished from Macroglossa, by 

 the disc of their wings being transparent. 



jEgeriida!. Antennae fusiform, a little curved, ciliated in the males, 

 the apex terminating in a plume of scales ; ocelli two, minute, placed 

 behind the antenna; ; palpi elongate, thickly clothed with scales aud 

 long hairs, the last joint elongate ; abdomen cylindric, tufted at the 

 apex ; wings horizontal and generally transparent, with the excep- 

 tion of the apical portion, which is more or less covered with scales ; 

 larva tailless, assumes the pupa state in the stems of plants or dead 

 wood of trees ; pupa furnished with spines on the segmenta of the 

 body. 



The species of this family are usually of small size, and remarkable 

 for their transparent wings and the possession of ocelli, or simple 

 eyei>, in addition to the ordinary compound eyes. They fly by day, 

 and many of them bear superficial resemblances to insects of other 

 orders, and hence have received such names as C'rabroni/ormis, 

 Ichneumoniformis, &c. Numerous species are found in England, and 

 these constitute the two genera Trochalium and jEgeria. In the 

 former of these genera the raaxillie are very short, and the antennae 

 are short, whilst in jSgeria the maxilla: are elongated, and the antenna; 

 also long. 



SPHINX. [CREPUSCULAR. ; Sraaroma.] 

 SPIDER-ORCHIS. [OrHHYS.] 

 SPIDER-WORT. [COMMELYNACE.E.] . 

 SPIDEKS. [ARACHNIDA; AHANEID*.] 



SPIGE'LIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 igeliaceif. It is commemorative of Adrian Spigelius. The cha- 

 racters of this genus are: Calyx 5-parted; corolla funnel-shaped, 

 with a 5-cleft equal limb; anthers converging; capsule didynamous, 

 2-celled, 4-valved, many-seeded. This genus consists of annual and 

 jerennial herbs, and under-shrubs with opposite leaves aud rose- 

 -oloured or purple flowers. They are natives of North aud South 

 America, and are found in various soils. 



S. Marylandica, Maryland Worm-Grass, is an herbaceous perennial, 

 with simple tetragonal scabrous stems; opposite, sessile, glabrous, 

 ovato-lanceolate leaves; solitary spikes; funnel-shaped corolla, and 

 nclosed stamens. It is a native of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, 

 ind Georgia, in rich moist soils, by the edges of woods ; also in the 

 orests on the banks of the Arkansas. Although all the species 

 >ossess active properties, the Maryland Worm-Seed is that which is 

 rincipally used in medicine. 



