298 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



the forewings are generally of a lighter colour varied with grey, and 

 without the zigzag black markings so conspicuous in Phlegethontius. 

 The hindwings are grey or pink with undulating black bands, and 

 the abdomen is marked with alternate pink (or grey) and black 

 bands, instead of lateral spots. The proboscis is shorter than in 

 Phlegethontius ." 



Sphinx ligustri, Linne. 



Synonymy. —Species : Ligustri, Linn., " Sys. Nat.," xth ed., p. 490 (1758) ; 

 xiith ed., p. 799 (1767); "Faun. Suec," ed. ii., p. 287 (176-1), &c. [Note. — This 

 species has never been known by any other specific name since the time of Linne. 

 All the references made under the generic synonymy of Sphinx, Linn, [antea, p. 

 296), are referable here.] 



Original description. — Sphinx ligustri, alis integris : posticis 

 incarnatis fasciis nigris, abdomine rubro cingulis nigris. Fn. Suec, 

 809. Phalaena prismicornis spirilinguis fusca, alis inferioribus 

 abdomineque fasciis transversis rubris. Mouff., Ins., 910, f. 12, f. 

 182, f. 1. Jonst., Ins., t. 19, f. 1-2. Jacob, Mus., i., f. 5, n. 24, 

 t. 1, f. 24. Alb., Ins., t. 7, f. 10. Swamm., Bibl., t. 29, f. 1,2, 3. 

 Jung, Verm., 108. List., Goed., 71, f. 25. Roes., Ins., app. i., p. 25, 

 t. 5. De Geer, Ins., i., t. 1, f. 6. Rai, Ins., 144, n. 1. Goed., Ins., 

 l -i P- 93) t. 24. Reaum., Ins., 2, t. 20, f. 1-4. Wilk., Pap., 10, t. 

 1, B. 3. Habitat in Ligustro, Syringo, Fraxino, Lonicera, Sambuco. 



Imago. — 80mm. — 120mm. Head and thorax fawn-grey ; 



thorax with a large dorsal grey-brown patch surrounded by a broad 

 black-brown area, black posteriorly. Abdomen red- and black-banded 

 with a dorsal median broken black longitudinal line edged on either 

 side with fawn-grey. Anterior wings fawn-grey, shaded with fuscous ; 

 an oblique dark, brownish-black band, widening from apex to inner 

 margin, the inner edge bounded in its lower half by a double line 

 running from discoidal cell to inner margin near base, and fading 

 into ground-colour in its upper half, the outer edge bounded by the 

 black subterminal line running from apex to inner margin near anal 

 angle ; subterminal line edged on either side with greyish-white ; 

 the outer marginal area traversed by a brownish line ; a grey-white 

 apical patch ; the discoidal lunule black ; three or four black 

 longitudinal interneural dashes running through the oblique band ; 

 basal area pinkish ; fringes dark brown. Posterior wings pink with 

 three black transverse bands, the basal one ill-developed and shading 

 medially into the middle one ; fringes brown. 



Sexual dimokphism. — In a short series the largest $ is 116mm., 

 the largest $ 106mm., the smallest $ 90mm., and the smallest cf 

 but one 84mm. There is a smaller $ , 76mm., but this is rather an 

 aberration than a specimen to be measured for secondary sexual 

 characters. The other specimens range between, so as to make 

 $ 84mm. to 106mm., and $ 91mm. — 116mm., a fair measure of the 

 expanse of the two sexes. Except, perhaps, a tendency for the anterior 

 wings of the $ to be a little the narrower and sharper, there seems 

 to be no difference in form, colour or marking. Before she has 

 laid her eggs, the body of the $ tapers less regularly, and is even 

 stout and blunt. The antennae differ little in length, but those of the $ 

 may reach 17mm. in length, the ? 16mm. ; in most they are about 15mm., 

 and they may be only 14mm. ; the 2 antenna is more slender ('6mm.) 

 than that of the $ ('8mm.), and especially tapers at the extremity for a 

 rather greater number of joints, or rather both taper for about the 



