SPHINX EUo. 



Geneuic Character. 

 Antenna; prismaticce, in vtroqtie sexu ad medium leviter crassescentes, ex- 

 terne breviter piloso biciliatce. mucronc arcuato, producto, sensim ter- 

 minantes. Palpi breves, obtusi. Lingua elungata, conioluta,di>itincta, 

 et in pupa aliquando porrecta. Ahc suh-integrce. Abdomen elonga- 

 tum, conicum, ano acuto, imberbi. 



Typus Genericus Sphinx Convolvuli Linn. 

 Antennae three sided, in both sexes slightly thickened in the middle, 

 externally ciliated with double tufts of short hairs, and ending 

 in a gradually lengthened arcuated hook. Palpi short, obtuse. 

 Tongue long, convolute, distinct, sometimes porrected in the 

 pupa state. Wings nearly entire. Abdomen lengthened, conic ; 

 the tip pointed, and not bearded. 



Generic Type Sphinx Convolvuli Linn. 



Specific Character. 

 S. alis subdentatis, cinereis {in maribus lineis fuscis variatis) ; posticis 



nifis, margine nigro; abdomine pallida, cingulis atris circumdato. 

 Wings slightly denta ted, cinereous (in the male variegated with brown 



lines); posterior rufous, with a black margin; abdomen pale, 



with black belts. 

 Gmelin 5. 2375. 13. Fab. Ent. Sys. 3. 362. no. 21. S. Ello. Drury, 



vol. i. p. 59. pi. 11. fig. 3. (mfl/e.) Cramer, pi. 301. D. 



It is in all things better to understand few subjects well 

 than many imperfectly ; knowledge may be extensive, but it 

 cannot be sound, if it is at the same time imperfect ; and, 

 applying this observation to the present article, it becomes as 

 desirable, where necessary, to illustrate an insect known to 

 Linnaeus, as to regard only the accession of new species. 



The two insects figured were received from Jamaica by my 

 friend Dr. Leach, and there can be no doubt they are the sexes 

 of one species. The upper is a male, and agrees with Drury's 

 figure and description ; the lower insect is a female, of which 

 no representation has been published : as for Cramer's figure, 

 if intended for the former, it is really so bad that it can hardly 

 be quoted as an authority, and it appears to have misled Fa- 

 bricius, in thinking that the female insect had a brown stripe 

 on the anterior wings, whereas that character is more appli- 

 cable to the male. 



The insects I propose retaining under this genus are such 

 as have the body lengthened, pointed, and not bearded at the 

 tip ; the antennffi but slightly thickened in the middle, and 

 the terminating hook gradual, arched, and not very acute : 

 these comprehend the first section of Latreille's genus. Sphinx, 

 and are by him again divided into two groups, the one having 

 the wings entire, the other angulated. 



PI. 81. 



