508 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



1894, a $ H. fuciformis in copula with a $ H. tityus ; they were 

 resting on a flower in the New Forest when taken. 



Synonymic note on the two British Hemarid species*. 



The synonymy of the two British Hemarid species is most un- 

 satisfactory (see Entom., xxix., pp. 39 — 40). The following appear 

 to be the tacts : Linne named (Syst. Nat., ed. 10) three species, 

 which have at one time or another been referred to the 

 two British ones, namely, fuciformis, tityus and 'bombyliformis, 

 but in the 12th edition he sinks the latter as a variety of 

 his Sphinx porcellus, and it ought never to have been resuscitated 

 for a Hemarid species. We quote the diagnoses of the other 

 two under their respective species (see infra), and it is sufficient 

 here to remark that the comparatively little regard which has 

 been paid to the 10th edition, and the fact that Linne united 

 the two species under the one name — fuciformis — in his later 

 works, have resulted in much uncertainty and controversy as to 

 the correct identification of that name. Esper uses ( ' Schmett. Eur., 

 ii., p, 118) the name fuciformis for the broad-bordered species, 

 giving a mixture of citations from earlier works. He makes no 

 critical comments, not being then acquainted with a second species. 

 He says (on p. 122) that Linne mentions also a var. tityus, quotes 

 his diagnosis, and concludes that it may probably be a worn 

 fuciformis. Later (torn, cit., p. 180) he erects bombyliformis as a 

 new species, pointing out that Linne's bombyliformis was an un- 

 important aberration, or worn specimen, of porcellus, and that he 

 "believes himself justified in now transferring the name bombyliformis 

 to a new species." Schiffermiiller and Denis ( Wien. Schmett., p. 44) 

 also only cite one species, namely the u Scabiosa-Siph'mx," which they 

 give as fuciformis, L. Illiger, in his edition of the same work (pp. 24 

 — 26), discusses the synonymy, and unhesitatingly concludes that 

 the bombyliformis of Esper and Hiibner (=tityus) is thetrue fuciformis 

 of Linne, his chief ground being that Linne describes the abdominal 

 band as " black," whilst in the broad-bordered species it is decidedly 

 " red-brown." Laspeyres, Ochsenheimer and Treitschke all accept 

 Illiger's conclusions. Dalman (K. Vet. Ac. Handl., 18 16, pp. 

 216 — 217), retaining the name fuciformis, L., for the honeysuckle- 

 species, and bombyliformis, Esp., for the scabious-feeder, remarks : 

 " Post omnia qua? de praecedentibus duabus speciebus ab auctoribus 

 sunt scripta et disputata, ut in posteriorem Linnei synonyma cadere 

 evinciatur, tamen nequeo non talem habere opinionem, Linneum 

 sine dubio ambas species sub una commixtas pro oculis habuisse, 

 unde ortum, ut diagnoses et descriptiones ejus breves nunc uni 

 nunc alteri melius con veniant. Verba ' marginc atro purpurascente 1 quas 

 sunt in Syst. Nat., ed. xii., sine dubio ad fuciformcm nostram spectare 

 videntur, cum tale de bombyliformi vix dici potuerit. Deficientibus 

 aliis criteriis, Rceselii figura citata magni esse debebat momenti 

 pro ea specie qua? ibi manifeste est dilineata." He goes on to 

 protest against Laspeyres' upsetting of the synonymy on such 

 dubious grounds. Most of the British authors (excepting Stephens) 

 have also continued to follow Esper and Hiibner, although Kirby's 



* For this synonymic section we are indebted entirely to Mr. L. 13. Prout. 



