AGRItJS CONVOLVULI. 361 



species vary greatly, not only in the markings but also in the 

 ground colour, which is sometimes of a bright green, sometimes of 

 a dark green, very often of a light brown, and sometimes of a 

 dark brown. Among the green individuals the following varieties 

 have been observed : 



(i). Of a bright green with two rows of black spots along the back, and 

 seven oblique white lateral stripes, the horn fawn-coloured on the upper 

 side and black beneath. (2). Of a dark green, with two black lines along the 

 back and seven oblique stripes of the same colour on the sides. (3). Green, with 

 six longitudinal rows of black or brown spots, and the head and horn ferruginous. 



The brown individuals, he notes, are equally variable. The 

 principal forms are : 



(1). Olive-brown, with two black lines along the back, and seven oblique 

 stripes of the same colour on the sides; the head and the 1st segment of the 

 body of a ferruginous-red, a large white spot upon the sides of each segment. 

 (2). The three anterior segments with whitish longitudinal lines. (3). Entirely 

 brown with the back darker than the sides. 



Besides these six forms, intermediate ones are not rare and 

 sometimes almost the whole of the body is intersected by a 

 multitude of very fine black lines. The same author states that 

 the caudal horn is either fawn above and black beneath, or 

 ferruginous, or of a rusty-red. The larvae that Sturt obtained 

 from Port Wrinkle varied in size and colour very much. He describes 

 ( Ent. Pec, vii., p. 226) : 



(] ). The brown form (in those just changed into the last skin), varying 

 from almost black, with continuous white stripes along the side, to two (full-fed), 

 which were of a pale putty-colour with very faint markings. (2). The green form 

 varying from a rather deeper tint than that of Sphinx ligustri, with oblique black 

 stripes bordered with white, to a very washy shade, with the black stripes broken 

 up into three dots of pale brown. 



Bartel writes {Pal. Gross-Schmett., ii., p. 38) : " A very dark form of 

 the larva corresponding with the black aberration of Acherontia atropos, 

 has been observed in numbers locally, e.g., 23 examples from 

 Hungary are lying before me. It occurs both black-grey with a 

 faint brownish line, and also quite black, and has an obscure 

 dorsal tinge, but even this is wanting in half the examples before 

 me. On each side of the dorsum a yellow stripe runs from the 

 head to the horn, where the two run together or terminate in a 

 large yellow or reddish spot. These stripes are much inclined to 

 disappear and sometimes approach nearly to vanishing." Mathew 

 notes (Entom., xxxiv., p. 2 83 J the following forms as occurring among 

 the examples obtained in 1901, at Dovercourt : 



(1). Bright apple-green, with narrow black lines between the skin- folds ; 

 oblique stripes bright yellowish-green ; head green, with black stripes each side 

 of the cheeks; horn orange-red, tipped with black. (2;. As in 1, but with 

 a subdorsal row of square-shaped black spots, and a large black blotch above each 

 spiracle. (3). Apple -green, with the oblique stripes broadly bordered above by 

 purplish-black, the stripes nearly meeting over the back, and those on the last 

 two segments running up to the base of the caudal horn. (4). The brown variety, 

 as figured by Buckler, but difficult to describe. 



But the interesting facts of the variation of the larvae of this 

 species have already been detailed at length in our quotation of 

 Poulton's description of the various forms {anted pp. 346-360). In 

 the third stadium of the larva, he finds a distinct resemblance to the 

 Amorphid larvae — (i) In the variability of the ground colour, (2) in 



