spine or bristle, which passes into a hook on the under surface of the 

 superior wings, maintaining them, when at rest, in a horizontal or 

 inclined position*. This character is also visible in the ensuing 

 family, but the Crepuscularia are distinguished from the latter by their 

 antennae, which form an elongated club, either prismatic or fusiform. 



The caterpillars have always sixteen feet. The chrysalides are 

 destitute of the points or angles observed in most of those of the 

 Diurnal Lepidoptera, and are usually enclosed in a cocoon, or con- 

 cealed either in the earth or under some body. These Lepidoptera 

 frequently appear only in the morning or evening. 



They compose the genus, 



Sphinx, Lin. — Papillons-Bourdons, De Geer, 

 So named from the attitude of several of the caterpillars, which 

 resembles that of the fabled monster so called. They have received 

 that of Papillons- Bourdons from the humming noise they frequently 

 produce while on the wing. 



I will divide this subgenus into four sections, corresponding in a 

 similar order to the genera, Castnia and Sphinx, of Fabricius, and to 

 those whicli he first called Sesia and Zi/gcena. 



The first, or that of the Hesperi-Sphinges f , consists of Lepidop- 

 tera, which evidently connect the Hesperise with Sphinx proper. 

 The antennae are always simple, thickened in the middle or at the 

 extremity, which forius a hook, narrowed into a point at the end, and 

 without a tuft of scales. They all have a very distinct proboscis ; 

 the inferior palpi are composed of three very apparent joints. In 

 some, the second is elongated and strongly compressed, the third 

 slender, almost cylindrical and nearly naked; these palpi resemble 

 those of the Uranise ; in others, they are shorter but wider, almost 

 cylindrical, and well furnished with scales. The antennae of the 

 latter are only inflated at the extremity. 



Those, in which the inferior palpi are elongated, with the second 

 joint strongly compressed, and the last slender and almost naked, in 

 which the antennae are simple, gradually thickened near the middle, 

 and then become narrowed and terminate in an elongated Iiook, 

 form the subgenus 



Agarista, Leach + . 



Those, in Avhich the inferior palpi are similarly formed, but where 



* In certaia Smerinthi, however, according to Godart, they are wanting. 



t In this section, at least for the present, I will arrange the genus Hecatksia, 

 established by M. Bois-Duval, in his lately published interesting Monograph, with 

 which he terminates the first part of another work, that will be highly useful to 

 amateurs, entitled Eurojiceontm Lepidvptcrorum Index Mefhodicus. He thus charac- 

 terizes the above genus : antennae rough and fusiform, as in Nymphalis, the joints 

 distinct to the club ; palpi densely pilose, with indistinct joints, and not extending 

 beyond the clypeus ; proboscis corneous, and rolled up spirally ; thorax very hairy ; 

 wings laid on the body. The only species known, the H.fenestrata, is found in New- 

 Holland, 



X Sec Encyc. Method., article Papillon, genus Agarisfe. Near this genus comes 



