272 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Mr. Saunders writes me that he has found it feeding on the 

 pine, about the middle of September. "It is two inches long, 

 the body being smooth and nearly cylindrical and thickest in 

 the middle of the body. The head is large, pointed above, flat 

 in front and green, with a yellow stripe on each side. The 

 body is bright green, with a dorsal row of dark red spots on 

 the fifth to the twelfth segments inclusive, with a bright yel- 

 low stripe on each side of the reddish spots and a lateral 

 white stripe mixed with yellow." The moth is a very small, 

 ash grey species, only expanding two inches. It frequents 

 flowers at dusk in June. 



The genus Sphinx, as now limited by systematists, is much 

 larger bodied, with a long and narrow head, small eyes and 

 long and narrow wings. The head of the larva is rather 

 large, semi-oval and flattened in front. The body is cylin- 

 drical, smooth and obliquely banded on the side, with an 

 arching, caudal horn. It transforms in a subterranean earthen 

 cell. The tongue-case of the pupa is short and free, instead 

 of being soldered to the body. Sphinx gordius Cramer is dark 

 brown, with a roseate tinge, and the thorax is blackish brown 

 above. The larva feeds on the apple. 



Sphinx kalmice Smith is hoary and rust-red, and on the hind 

 wings are a median and marginal black band. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the lilac and laurel. It is pale green, with seven 

 oblique, lateral, pale yellow bands, edged above with black, 

 which is again bordered with pale blue. Sphinx drupiferarum 

 Smith has the fore-wings blackish brown, with the discal dot 

 and outer edge of the wing whitish fawn-color. The larva 

 feeds on the different species of plum. The body is pale green, 

 with lateral purple bands, edged beneath with white. Sphinx 

 cJiersis Hubner (S. cinerea Harris) is the largest species we 

 have, and is pale ashen, and reddish gray beneath. The larva 

 feeds on the lilac. 



The large "potato worm" belongs to the genus Macrosila, 

 containing our largest species of the family ; the head is pro- 

 portionally large, and the wings are rather broad, with the 

 interior angles dilated. M. cingulata Fabr. has pink hind 

 wings and pink spots on the abdomen. It feeds on the sweet 

 potato. M. quinque-maculata Haworth (Fig. 199, moth ; a, 



