Catalogue of North American Sphinges. 301 



of the species, to wit, porceUus, the pig, and Elpcnor, the name 

 of one of the companions of Ulysses, who was clianged to a hog 

 by Circe. In the year 1836, Mr. Duncan,* probably not aware of 

 the previous establishment of this genus, pointed out its charac- 

 ters under the name of Metopsilus, derived from ,uiiomoi', the 

 front, and i/nldg, slender, in allusion to the form of this part of the 

 larva. These naturalists, in separating this new group from the 

 genus Sphinx, or rather from Deilcphila, seem to have had only 

 European insects under consideration ; but in America there are 

 several species, which, so far as similarity of form and habits, in 

 all their states, indicates a natural affinity, ought certainly to be 

 included in the same generical group, from which, however, they 

 will be excluded unless the characters of the genus are somewhat 

 modified to receive them. Believing the genus to be a good pne, 

 and susceptible of modification, I have changed the characters of 

 it in the synopsis prefixed to this catalogue, so as to admit our 

 American species. In C. Pampinatri.v, Chwriliis, and versicolor, 

 the antennas are rather short and slender, arcuated, and end in a 

 very long slender hook ; the fore-wings have the outer and inner 

 margins sinuous, so as to exhibit prominent outer and hinder an- 

 gles ; the hind-wings have a sinuous hind-margin, and a promi- 

 nent angle near the tail ; and the abdomen is rather short, and 

 conical at tip. The larvtr. of the first two of these species have 

 the eleventh segment conically prolonged above, forming a base 

 for a very short slighdy curved caudal horn, and the sides of the 

 body are marked with oblique bands sloping upwards and back- 

 wards. They transform above ground, under fallen leaves, or 

 slightly covered with grains of earth, connected by a few threads, 

 so as to form a loose imperfect cocoon. The pupa is short, thick, 

 obtusely rounded before, with the tongue-case imbedded, indis- 

 tinct, and nearly as long as the wing-ca.ses ; the tail is rather 

 blunt, and ends in a long, slender point, which, under a mag- 

 nifier, is found to be rougli, and notched at the tip. 

 1. C. Pampinatrix. Smith-Abbot. 

 Light olive-gray above, shaded with olive ; fore-wings with a 

 dot near the middle, a transverse band near the base, a broader 

 band beyond the middle and a large triangular spot adjacent to 

 each acute angle and almost forming a third band, of an olive 

 color ; hind-wings rust-colored, dusky behind, and gray next the 



* Jardine's Naturalist's Library. Entomology. Vol. iv, p. 154. (1836.) 



