HIPPOTION. 117 



" Sv. Vet. Hand.," xix., p. 140 (1882); Buck]., "Larvae," &c, ii., p. 113, pi. 

 xxv., fig. 2 (1887) ; White, " Butts, and Moths of Teneriffe," p. 69, pi. iv., 

 fig. 2 (1894); Barrt., " Lep. Brit.," ii., p. 51, pi. 11(1895). Metopsilus, Dune, 

 "Brit. Moths," p. 159 (1836). Chaeroca?npa, Walker, " List," &c.," viii., p. 128 

 (1856) ; Butl., " Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond.," ix., pt. 10, p. 557 (1876) ; Hampson, 

 "Ind. Moths," i., p. 87 (1892) ; Staud., " Cat.," ed. 3, p. 103 (1901). Theretra, 

 Kirby, "Cat.," p. 652 (1892). 



The genus was founded (Verz., p. 135) by Hiibner, about 

 1822, when he gave the following diagnosis : 



The forewings externally with oblique white bands and brown stripes, also 

 white nervured ; hindwings with almost red spots — Hippotion celerio ^ Linn., H. ocys, 

 Hb. (celerio, Cram.). 



Kirby gives (Cat., p. 653) ocys, Hb. = celerio, Linn., which 

 makes Hippotion monotypical. This diagnosis, like all those of the 

 Verzeichniss, is very poor. The principal characters appear to be : 



Imago : Head broad, eyes very large; furewings with an oblique, pale, semi- 

 metallic curved stripe from apex to inner margin ; hindlegs long ; abdomen with 

 lateral pairs of semi-metallic spots. Pupa: Labrum dorsal; texture delicate; 

 black spots round spiracle, and dots down wingcases ; anal spines sharp, delicate, 

 polished, with two comparatively long divergent apical points. Larva : Subdorsal 

 line retained from 3rd to 8th abdominal segment ; ocellated spots on sides of 1st and 

 2nd abdominals. 



Moore diagnoses (Lepidoptera Ceylon, ii., p. 16) the genus as 

 follows : 



Forewing long, narrow, slightly arched towards end, apex acute, exterior 

 margin very oblique, slightly convex in the middle, posterior margin much 

 recurved; first subcostal emitted at two-fifths and second at one-fifth before end 

 of the cell, fifth immediately beyond end of cell ; discocellular inwardly oblique, 

 slightly bent beyond the middle, radial from the angle ; middle median at one- 

 sixth, and lower at two-thirds before end of the cell ; submedian much recurved 

 from the base ; with a lower branch one-fourth from the base ; hindwing narrow, 

 apex pointed, anal angle prominent ; subcostal spur short ; two subcostal branches 

 from end of the cell ; discocellular slightly recurved, outwardly oblique, radial 

 from the middle ; cell extending more than half the wing ; middle median at 

 one-sixth, and lower at one-third before end of the cell. Body stout, thorax 

 broad ; palpi pointed in front ; antennae short, pectinate ; legs long— Hippotion 

 celerio. 



There are, according to Kaye, only two species belong- 

 ing to this genus — celerio and osiris. Panacra vigil he also 

 considers somewhat close. Kirby notes the genus as resembling 

 Eunwrpha, but with the wings longer, narrower, and more 

 pointed, and the legs and body longer and more slender ; 

 the body and wings adorned with silvery stripes ; the hind margin 

 of the forewings more oblique and sinuated, the anal angle projecting 

 downwards almost in a tooth; the anal angle of the hindwing sub- 

 lobate. Of the two species included in the genus — celerio is dis- 

 tributed throughout almost the whole of the tropical and subtropical 

 districts of the Old World, migrating into the warmer temperate 

 regions, whilst osiris occurs in western Africa and southwest Europe. 

 The allied Panacra vigil is found in India, Ceylon, the Philippines, and 

 Queensland, occurring in Australia in the same districts as H. celerio. 



Marshall's remarks (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1902, pp. 397-398) 

 and experiments on the value of the terrifying marks in the larva 

 of Hippotion osiris are most interesting. He observes that the full- 

 grown larva is about 7 ins. long, remarkably snake-like, the general 

 colour somewhat recalling that of the common puff adder ( Bitis 

 arietans). Offering one to some baboons, he found that they were exceed- 



