AMORPHA POPULI. 473 



colour is mostly of a light reddish- grey, as in the ab. incarnata, Aust., and single 

 specimens are hardly to be distinguished from this. The colour is seldom so grey 

 as it is normally in populi ; it is never yellow-grey, nor quite dark grey in the 

 specimens before me. Most of the examples are rather strongly marked, and have, 

 on the outer area of the forewing, 2 — 4 dark, wavy, transverse lines, which are 

 occasionally so faint as to be scarcely distinguishable ; on the hindwings also the 

 corresponding 2 or 3 darker, posteriorly lighter-margined, wavy, transverse lines 

 usually stand out distinctly, whilst the large, red-brown, basal scale- patch is almost 

 always strongly marked as in populi and austauti. The form of the wings varies 

 considerably in populeto?'u?n, but not so much as it does in populi. In populetorum 

 the outer margins of the wings are far less crenate than in populi, of which, however, 

 I possess also some almost smooth-margined examples. The hindwings of austauti 

 are almost entirely smooth-margined. At any rate, populetorum is a fine, large, 

 interesting local-form of our populi, or, perhaps, really the type-form, if, indeed, 

 Europe obtained its lepidopterous fauna from Asia (Staudinger). Usgent, Osch 

 (Haberhauer), Pamir (Grum-Grshimailo). 



j/. var. austauti, Staud., " Pet. Nouv.," ii., p. 190 (1877) ; " Cat.," 31'ded., p. 99 

 (1901) ; Aust., " Le Natural.," i., pp. 11, 68, 85 (1879); Obth., "Etudes," etc., vi., 

 p. 65, pi. v., fig. 1 (188 1); Kirby, "Cat.," p. 710(1892); Standfuss, " Handbuch," &c, 

 pp. 55, 62, 150 (1896); Bartel, " Pakeark. Gross-Schmett.," ii., p. 196 ([900). Poupil- 

 lieri, Bell., " Pet. Nouv.," ii., p. 193 (1878). — A Smerinthus populi (?), taken in May, 

 deserves special mention, although unfortunately it is not very fresh. It is very 

 large, measuring 100mm. in expanse; its colour is greyish with a reflection of violet ; 

 its markings do not differ from those of S. populi. The indentation of the margin 

 of the wings is much less pronounced, almost none, especially on the inferiors ; 

 this character, combined with its large size, gives this specimen a cliaracteristic 

 aspect; however, as S. populi varies much, even in the indentation of the wings, 

 I should not venture to establish on this single individual the characters of a species. 

 Perhaps it is identical with S. populeti from Persia ; but this latter is too insufficiently 

 described for one to be able to identify it ; if this supposition be not found correct, 

 and a certain number of individuals are found in Algeria belonging to the same type, 

 I shall propose to name this form in honour of its discoverer : Smerinthus austauti 

 (Staudinger). Pupa: The immense pupa, 53mm. long, or even more, of the var. 

 austauti, is very nearly identical with that of A. populi, except in size. The sculpturing 

 is bolder, or perhaps only appears so, the anal spike is smaller, shorter, blunter 

 and rougher, being sculptured and even spiculated to the end. The tibio-tarsal 

 joint of the first leg forms a marked prominence ; this is so also in A. populi, but usually 

 to so small a degree as to escape notice. The lateral prominences of the 10th 

 segment are very definitely shorter and smaller, so that the anterior horn almost 

 falls into the general pupal surface (Chapman). 



Oberthiir writes (in litt.) that he does not believe A. austauti 

 to be a distinct species, but considers it to be simply a very large form 

 of A. populi, some of the 60 examples in his collection being very large; 

 it is also very variable. The examples he has have come from 

 Morocco, Sebdon, Geryville, &c. 



9. ab. austauti-incamata, Aust., " Le Nat.," i., p. 237 (June 15th, 1880) ; 

 Kirby, "Cat.," p. 710 (1892); Bartel, " Palaeark. Gross-Schmett.," ii., p. 199 

 (1900). — Two specimens only, $ and ? , received from Algiers. Does not differ 

 from the type in markings, nor in the outline of the wings, but in the general 

 colour, which is a fine rose carmine-grey instead of being of a more or less pale 

 ashy-grey. The undersurface is still brighter than the upper, and the abdomen 

 is particularly accentuated. The brown spot on the secondaries is redder, and 

 also occupies an extended area. These examples came from larvae obtained at 

 the same time as those of the type, but it is worthy of mention that the larvae, 

 which produced these remarkable specimens, were not green like those which 

 I have previously described, but of a fine bluish- grey, tinged with violet 

 (Austaut). 



1. ab. austauti-mirabilis , Aust., " Le Nat.," ii., p. 359 (Nov. 1st, 

 I883); Kirby, " Cat.," p. 710 (1892); Bartel, " Pakeark. Gross-Schmett.," 

 p. 199 (1900). — Size and pattern normal; but that which distinguishes it from 

 the forms already known is the fine delicate rose tint which forms the 

 ground-colour, both above and below, and which also covers the entire body, 

 except the antennae which are whitish. In addition, the centre of the forewings 

 is shaded with a slight reflection of greenish, which enhances still further the 

 richness of colouring of the moth. This superb aberration was obtained from 



