Lepidoptera of the Isle of Askold. 229 



a collection of Lepidoptera received by him from the Isle of 

 Askold, Mantchooria. 



Whilst lepidopterists are much indebted to M. Oberthiir for 

 the numerous careful figures which illustrate this memoir, it 

 must be a cause for regret to all who study it that equal care 

 has not been taken to avoid the multiplication ofsynonyms. 



Monsieur Oberthiir is, I feel sure, too genuine a naturalist 

 to be hurt at the correction of any errors which may have 

 crept into his publications ; and as the Lepidoptera of China and 

 Japan have, for years past, been my special study, I feel 

 called upon, in the interests of science, to review a paper 

 bearing so intimate a relation as this does to the entomolo- 

 gical resources of those countries. 



It seems to me that when an entomologist is ready not 

 merely to distinguish every geographical race as a species, 

 but to give a distinct name to every admitted variety or sport, 

 he ought, for the sake of consistency, if for no better reason, 

 to adopt all genera founded upon well-defined structural cha- 

 racters. This, however, M. Oberthiir has not done, as will be 

 at once seen by the following revised list of his supposed new 

 species. 



The advantage of numerous genera is (it seems to me) to 

 enable a naturalist who does not possess in a large measure 

 the gift of order which would enable him to group allied forms 

 by their external facies, to associate them by the more scien- 

 tific mode of examining and comparing their structural pecu- 

 liarities. 



The following is a list of the Heterocera in M. Oberthiir's 

 memoir, with corrections of their specific and generic names 

 where required : — 



Sphingidse. 



Smerinthus askoldensis, Oberth. Belongs to the group of 

 genera near Proserpinus, although in some of its characters it 

 more nearly resembles Pergesa. It has no connexion what- 

 ever with the Smeriuthinai. 



Smerinthus Jankowsku^ Oberth. Near to Triptogon dyras 

 from Ceylon. 



Sphinx Davt'dis, Oberth. A species of the genus Hyloicus. 



The three species of Sphingidse will therefore all stand, 

 although in different genera from those to which they arc 

 referred. 



ZygaenidsB. 

 Procris psgchina, Oberth. 



