Insects. 3159 



tinent. In Switzerland they are seldom to be met with in the finest collections, or, if 

 found, the specimens are very old. According to my friend Mr. Anderregg, an inde- 

 fatigable Swiss entomologist residing in the canton of Valais, and no doubt well known 

 among our numerous British entomologists, the former insect is becoming extremely 

 scarce, and difficult to obtain. D. Celerio I have frequently captured in the imago 

 state, but never had an opportunity of describing the larva, which is something simi- 

 lar to that of D. Elpenor, and feeds exclusively on the vine. Although I am perfect- 

 ly acquainted with the differences between these two larvse, I do not feel justified in 

 adding its description, not having made it myself. It is reckoned scarce in most coun- 

 tries. A few years ago D. Celerio was rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of Lau- 

 sanne in the imago state ; I captured several specimens in my garden, flying around 

 the flowers of the marvel of Peru, nasturtium (Tropaolum majus and minus), and jas- 

 mine, during tivilight only. D. Nerii, no doubt this insect, is no native of Switzerland, 

 but is brought into the country by the oleanders from Italy. A beautiful larva of this 

 handsome Deilephila was brought to me from the Campagne Villamont, at Lausanne, 

 on the 27th of October, 1844 : it fed upon the Nerium Oleander. The description of 

 the larva is as follows : — Caterpillar elongated, and attenuated anteriorly ; the three 

 anterior segments being contractile, as in D. Elpenor and Celerio. Head small and 

 globular: anal horn small, short and thick, bent backwards, of a pale carrot-colour: 

 two large round ocelli, bright blue, paler towards the centre, bordered by black, and 

 then surrounded by green, on the third segment: the ground colour is a pale glaucous 

 green inclining to dull yellow on the anterior and posterior segments ; a broad lateral 

 line of white, rather ill defined, and marked with round white spots, bordered by dull 

 green, extends on either side from the fifth segment to the horn ; the anterior edge of 

 these segments is also marked with several similar spots : head and thoracic legs pale 

 green ; membranous legs pale grayish green, tipped with brown : stigmata narrow, 

 black, bordered by white : abdomen dull greenish yellow or grayish green. The next 

 larva I shall describe is that of D. Elpenor. This is certainly the commonest of this 

 genus, and is very abundant around Lausanne, and throughout the whole of Switzer- 

 land. The caterpillar is smooth, elongated, and attenuated anteriorly. Ground colour 

 shining black, more or less spotted with pale yellow : a red or yellow dorsal line, dilat- 

 ing into a triangle on the first segment : a broad red or yellow sometimes interrupted 

 lateral line over the legs: two series of large oval patches of shining light yellow on 

 either side, four on each segment, of which the upper ones are the largest and bright- 

 est, and the most rounded ; the part on which these spots are placed is of a deep vel- 

 vety black ; there is also on either side a series of triangular patches of red, yellowish 

 brown, or yellow: abdomen light orange, buff, yellow or green, with a macular gray or 

 black ventral line : all the legs brownish orange, carrot-colour or yellow : head the 

 same colour as the legs, with the mandibles and lower portion black, the anterior edge 

 of the upper lip yellow, and the palpi yellow tipped with gray : horn varying accord- 

 ing to the colour of the head, legs, &c, but tipped with black : stigmata white bordered 

 with black. There are many varieties of this larva, which differ from the general de- 

 scription as follows. Var. 1. — No triangular patches of yellow or brown along the 

 sides : abdomen black, or black with an interrupted ventral line of carrot-colour. Var. 

 2. — The two lateral series of oval shining yellow patches are joined, forming a series 

 of large oblong patches ; it is spotted with much larger spots than the common one ; 

 in the place of the lateral series of buff triangular patches, there is a broad and conti- 

 nued ferruginous longitudinal line, which is sometimes marked at the incisions by a 



