Macroglossnm. Our nearest known ally to this European genus is, 

 perhaps, Euproserpinus phaeton, Grote and RoMnson, from California. 



In North America we have a number of pellucid winged Sphing- 

 idae, which, as a group, differ from our present idea of Hemaris, by 

 their flattened form, appressed squamation, and longer wings. 

 These we have arranged under the genus Haemorrhagia, G. S R., of 

 which our common Sesia thysbe. Fab., is the type. Alexander 

 Agassiz, in his recent superb " Eevisiou of the Echini," speaks of 

 our present knowledge of genera, as limited to convenient headings 

 for the identification of species. The species for which I use the 

 name Hemaris, are black and yellow bodied, more or less fuzzy ; 

 they look like Humble-bees. On the other hand, the species of 

 Haemorrhagia are Indian red and olive, Avith flattened body hairs, 

 and by their form j^repare us for the still more compressedly shaped 

 species of the genus Aellopos. The late Mr. Kobinson and myself, 

 in our Systematic Catalogue of North American Sphingidae, p. 24, 

 have defined under " Sesia," the structural idea I here retain under 

 the more correct name of Hemaris. 



As was the case with Hemorrhagia, in Avhich we discovered that 

 several distinct species existed on the Atlantic Slope, whereas but 

 one, or at the utmost two, had been previously suspected, so I have 

 now to draw attention to the fact that a nearly parallel state of 

 things exists with regard to the species of Hemaris. 



The first illustration of a North American species of Hemaris is 

 by Abbot & Smith, in 1797. Tbey illustrate and describe a species 

 from Georgia, under the name of fuciformis. Whatever species 

 they intended is comparatively of little moment, since the name 

 they use is the same as tiiat under which the European species was 

 described, and they were Avrong in considering the two as identical. 

 Boisduval is the next to figure, in the " Species General," our 

 Hemaris difiinis [Macroglossa diffi)iis, Boisd.) from the Atlantic Dis- 

 trict. Without any idea of the existence of cotemporary species, 

 Harris considers, and Clemens agrees, without obvious point, that H. 

 difiinis is the species intended originally by Abbot. Boisduval is 

 probably the originator of this idea, since quite recently, in the 

 Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, this distinguished 

 Author indulges in even wider speculations with regard to the work 

 on the Insects of Georgia, and unnecessarily troubles himself with 



