77ie Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 261 



that the remains of such a line are present in the 

 adult larva of S. Convolvuli. 



This conclusion becomes still more certain on 

 comparing the markings with those of a nearly 

 allied genus ; without such comparison the separa- 

 tion of the genus Macrosila, Boisd., from Sphinx is 

 scarcely justifiable. If to these two genera we 

 add Dolba, Walk., and Acherontia, Ochs., we must 

 be principally struck with the great similarity in 

 the markings, which often reaches to such an 

 extent that the differences between two species 

 consist entirely in small shades of colour, while the 

 divergence of the moths is far greater. 



Of the genera mentioned, I am acquainted alto- 

 gether with fourteen species of caterpillars : 

 Macrosila Hasdrubal, Rustica and Cingulata ; 50 

 Sphinx Convolvuli, Ligustri, Carolina Quin- 

 quemaculata, 50 Drupiferarum, 50 Kalmitz, 50 and 

 Gordius ; 50 Dolba Hylceus ; 60 Acherontia Atropos, 

 Styx^ and Satanas^ With one exception all 

 these caterpillars possess oblique stripes of the 

 nature of those of the Smerinthus larvae, and most of 

 them are without any trace of a subdorsal line ; one 

 species the North American M. Cingulata has 

 a completely developed subdorsal ; and the typical 

 European species, S. Convolvuli, has a rudimentary 



* Figured and described by Abbot and Smith. \_Macrosila 

 (Sphinx) Cingulata is figured also by Burmeister, loc. tit. PI. 

 XII., Fig. i. R.M.] 



51 Figured in " Cat. Lep. E. Ind. Co/' 



^( LIBRARY 



