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the Lepidoptera of St. Helena. 
Section II. Heterocera. 
Fam. I. Spliingidae. 
Genus 1. Acherontia, Oelis. 
Acherontia atropos , Linn. 
This gigantic hawk-moth is now abundant at St. Helena, 
the caterpillars being especially plentiful at intermediate eleva¬ 
tions. The latter feed on, amongst other plants, the Brug- 
mansia suaveolens, Willd. (the great white “ Datura”), though 
their principal and most favourite food-plant appears to be the 
prickly Solatium Jacquini , Willd. (known on the island as 
the “Wild Bringas ”), to which plant they are exceedingly 
destructive. Neither is the peculiar dark variety of the larva 
at all uncommon. Mr. Melliss records a curious fact about 
this moth—namely, that it first occurred on the island in the 
year 1835, and was afterwards very plentiful until 1854, 
when it disappeared simultaneously with the honey-bee (to 
which, as is the case with it in England, he says that it was 
a troublesome enemy). A few years ago, however, the honey¬ 
bee was reintroduced into St. Helena; and atropos has again 
made its appearance, seemingly more abundant than ever. I 
have had as many as twenty caterpillars brought to me in the 
course of a single afternoon. 
Genus 2. Sphinx, Ochs. 
Sphinx convolvuli, Linn. 
The only evidence which I possess for the occurrence of 
this Sphinx in St. Helena consists in a chrysalis which was 
brought to me from a cultivated piece of ground at 11 Fairy 
Land,” on the eastern side of (but a little below) the great 
central ridge; but the characters of the chrysalis are so unmis¬ 
takable as pertaining to S. convolvuli , that I have no hesita¬ 
tion whatever in adding the species to the fauna. 
Genus 3. Deilepiiila, Ochs. 
Deilephila celerio , Linn. 
This exceedingly quick-flying Deilephila , which possesses 
so wide a geographical range, is, at some seasons of the year, 
most abundant at St. Helena. We were told that often it 
was quite difficult to carry, without inconvenience, even 
baskets of flowers (especially when containing the sweet- 
scented Gardenias), on account of the aggressive manner in 
which these moths would follow and dart around the baskets, 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. iii. 15 
