g BRITISH MOTHS 



« si<'n and seal of the symbol which Nature designed it to be " in the figure of the human skull, the emblem of 

 death and of the grave; whilst the " threatening attitudes" of the caterpillars, and the great depth at which they 

 bury themselves in order to become chrysalides (on the way to the infernal regions), form additional claims to the 

 pre-eminental evil character of the family ! We may admire the skill with which this author seizes upon these 

 various circumstances in support of his theory ; but we cannot admit the Sphinx Atropos to be the type of the 

 family, and consequently we must consider the new generic name given to this insect as an advantage, and that 

 the name Sphinx has been correctly retained for the species which represent the family much more naturally than 

 it can be considered as doing. 



I therefore place the typical genus Sphinx in the middle of the family which is commenced and terminated 

 by less typical species, which exhibit the characters of, and thus point the way to, other groups. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE I. 



Insects. — Fig. 1. Smerinthus OccUatiis (the eyed Ilawk-motli). 2. Tlie Caterpillrr. 3. The Clirysalis. 



" Fig. 4. Smciinthus Populi (the popl.ir Hawk-mutli). 5. Tlio Catcrjiillar. 6. Tlie Chrysalis. 



" Fig. ". Smerinthus Tilia? (the lime Hawk-moth). 8. The Cateq)illar. 9. The Chrysalis. 



" Fig. 10. A hybrid hctwcen Smerinthus Ocellatus and Saierinthus Populi. 



iVsNTs. — Fig. II. Pyrus malus (the ^ild apple, or crab-tree). 

 " Fig. 12. Tilia Europa?a (the lime). 



** Fig. 13. Populus nigra (the bhack poplar). 



The insects in this plate are all from fine specimens in the Brilisli Museum. Smerinthus Populi is from a remarkably fine fem.ale specimen, 

 whicli I selected for its size and perfect preservation ; it is lighter in colour than most males, the dark markings of which are generally stronger 

 and less inclined to tawny. The caterpillar and chrysalis are from Godart and HUbner. H. N. II. 



GENUS I. 



SxMERINTHUS, Latreille. (LAOTHOE, F.a,bricius). 



This is a very distinct and natural group, distinguished by the very sluggish habits of the perfect insect, in 

 which the body is short, stout, and conical, the wings moderately long, the anterior angulated or dentatcd along 

 the outer margin j when at rest they form a triangle ; the posterior pair projecting beyond the sides of the upper. 

 The spiral tongue is exceedingly short, being in fact scarcely longer than the palpi, so that the insect is obliged to 

 settle upon flowers to take what little nourishment it requires. The antennaj are but slightly prismatic, being 

 serrated, or rather strongly setose, in the males, whilst in the females they are slender and scaly. The apex does 

 not terminate in a feathered seta. The caterpillars are distinguished at once by their granulated appearance, the 

 entire surface of the body being covered with minute tubercles, arranged in transverse series. The head is also of 

 a conical, or heart-shaped form, the point being upwards ; the body is terminated above by a nearly straight 

 horn ; they enter the ground to undergo the pupa state, which is rough and conical, terminated by an acute point, 

 the head cap being destitute of the prominent tubular case containing the proboscis, which is in fact too short to 

 require any such defence. The flight of the perfect insects is quite unlike that of the typical Sphingidw, being 

 slow and heavy, like that of the Bombycidre. 



