S P H 
be the largest and most remarkable, if not the most beautiful 
European insect of this genus. It is thus described by Dr. 
Shaw: the upper wings are of a fine dark grey colour, with 
a few slight variations of dull orange and white; the under 
wings are of a bright orange colour, marked by a pair of 
transverse black bands; the body is also orange-coloured, 
with the sides marked by black bars, while along the top of 
the back, from the thorax to the tail, runs a broad blue-grey 
stripe ; on the top of the thorax is a very large patch of a 
most singular appearance, exactly representing the usual 
figure of a skull, or death’s head, and is of a pale grey, 
varied with dull ochre and black. When in the least 
disturbed or irritated, this insect emits a stridulous sound, 
something like the squeaking of a mouse; and from this 
circumstance, as well as from the mark above-mentioned on 
the thorax, it is held in much dread by the vulgar in several 
parts of Europe; its appearance being regarded as a kind 
of ill omen or harbinger of approaching fate. Reaumur 
mentions, that the members of a female convent in France 
were thrown into great consternation at the appearance of 
one of these insects, which happened to fly in during the 
evening at one of the windows of the dormitory. The 
caterpillar from which this curious sphinx proceeds, is in the 
highest degree beautiful, and far surpasses in size every other 
European insect of the kind, measuring sometimes nearly 
five inches in length, and being of a proportional thickness; 
its colour is a bright yellow; the sides are marked with a row 
of seven most elegant broad stripes or bands, of a mixed 
violet and sky-blue colour; the tops of these bands meet on 
the back in so many angles, and are varied on that part with 
jet black specks; on the last joint of the body is a horn or 
process, not in an erect position, but hanging or curving 
over the joint in the manner of a tail, having a rough 
surface and a yellow colour.—This caterpillar is principally 
found on the potatoe and the jessamine, which are its 
favourite food. It changes into a chrysalis in the month of 
September, retiring for that purpose deep in the earth ; the 
perfect insect emerging in the following June or July. 
Individuals have been observed to change into the chrysalis 
in July or August, and then produce the complete insect in 
November, so that there appear to be two broods or races in 
a year. 
The Sphinx atropos is generally considered as a rare insect, 
and as the caterpillar feeds chiefly by night, concealing itself 
during the day under leaves, &c., it is not often detected ; 
yet from some singular circumstances favourable to its breed, 
there are seasons in which it is even plentiful, as was the case 
in the autumn of 1804, in which the caterpillar was so 
common in some counties, as to be prejudicial to the po- 
tatoe-plants, particularly in some parts of Cornwall and 
Surrey. 
" The alteration of form which the whole of the papilio¬ 
naceous tribe undergo, and in a particular manner the 
changes of the sphinx genus, afford a subject of the most 
pleasing contemplation to the mind of the naturalist, and 
though a deeply philosophical survey demonstrates that there 
is no real change produced in the identity of the creature 
itself, or that it is in reality no other than the gradual and 
progressive evolution of parts before concealed, and which 
lay masked under the form of an insect of a widely different 
appearance, yet it is justly viewed with the highest admira¬ 
tion, and even generally acknowledged as in the most lively 
manner typical of the last eventful changes.” 
11. Sphinx chionanthi.—Wings variegated, with a white 
dot in the middle; abdomen with three pair of fulvous eyes. 
—This is an American insect. The antennae are hooked, 
ferruginous, with a white shaft; lower wings blackish, 
spotted with white. Larva tailed, with yellow and black 
bands; the head and tail are red; the pupa is brown. 
12. Sphinx pinastri.—Wings entire, grey, with three short 
black lines in the middle of the upper pair; the abdomen is 
white, with black bands.—The Is*;, a is tailed, and greenish, 
with a ferruginous dorsal line, a lateral yellow one, and 
ferruginous subocellar stigmata: the pupa is reddish-brown, 
with white eyes. 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1584. 
I N X. 473 
13. Sphinx euphorbiae.—Wings entire, with two dark 
olive bands; lower ones with a black base, and marginal 
streak; the antennae are snowy.—It is found in this country, 
and divers parts of Europe. Donovan has given a figure of 
it. The larva is black, dotted with white; it has a red line 
down the back, and lateral yellow spots; the pupa is brown, 
with black stigmata. 
14. Sphinx lineata.—Wings greenish-olive, with a white 
band, crossed with white streaks; the lower ones are black, 
with a red band. It is generally described as having a 
greenish head, with a lateral white line; the thorax is marked 
with three double white streaks; abdomen with a white line 
down the middle, and lateral black and white dots; the hind 
margin of the upper wings is of a purple colour. Beneath 
it is cinereous, speckled with green. 
15. Sphinx ligustri, or privet hawk-moth.—Wings entire; 
lower ones rufous, with three black bands; the abdomen is 
red, with black belts. The larva is tailed; in colour it is 
green, with oblique lateral streaks, which are of a flesh- 
colour before, and white behind; the pupa is brown; the 
tail is four-toothed. 
16. Sphinx crantor.—Wings entire, brown, spotted with 
black ; lower ones red, edged with black.—It inhabits India. 
The upper wings are marked with a pale spot at the base; 
the lower wings are spotted with black at the angle of the 
tail. 
II.—Antennse cylindrical; tongue exserted, truncate ; wings 
entire. This division is named Sesia. 
17. Sphinx tantalus.—Abdomen bearded, the third 
segment snowy.—It inhabits Europe and India. The 
abdomen is marked with a white and rufous streak; upper 
wings variegated with three white dots. 
18. Sphinx hylas.—Wings semi-transparent; abdomen 
bearded, green, with a purple belt.—It inhabits China. The 
tail is marked with a white dot at the base ; the sides of the 
base are black. 
19. Sphinx stellatarum.—Abdomen bearded, the sides are 
varied with black and white; the lower wings are ferru¬ 
ginous. The larva is pale rosy, dotted with white; the 
tail blue, ferruginous at the tip; the pupa is pale, with a 
brown tip. 
20. Sphinx bombyliformis.—Abdomen bearded, greenish, 
fulvous, with a black band ; the wings are transparent, with 
a fine black edge. 
21j Sphinx zonata.—Wings transparent, with a black 
band and margin; the abdomen is bearded, black, with a 
single belt. It is found in divers parts of Europe, as 
well as in this country. The head is marked with a 
thin red margin; on the thorax are two oblique lateral red 
lines. 
22. Sphinx vespiformis.—Wings transparent, with a black 
margin and band; abdomen bearded, black, the second and 
last segments edged with yellow.—It is found in this country, 
and many parts of Europe. 
23. Sphinx chry sorrhaea.—Wings transparent, with a black 
margin and band; abdomen black, with four yellow belts; 
the beard is yellow, with a back line in the middle.—This is 
an English insect, and is figured by Donovan. 
III.—Antennae thicker in the middle; tongue exserted, 
setaceous. Zygaena. 
24. Sphinx filipendulae.—Upper wings blue-green, with six 
red spots in pairs; the lower ones are red, with a greenish 
border.—It is found in England, and other parts of Europe. 
The larva is flat, tailed, sulphur-coloured, with four lines of 
black dots; the pupa is brown, but in the middle it is of a 
sulphur-colour. 
25. Sphinx sedi.—Blue; upper wings with three connected 
red spots; the lower ones are entirely red.—It inhabits 
southern Russia.—The spots on the wings are surrounded 
with a yellow ring, and the lower wings with a fine black 
edge. 
26. Sphinx phegea.—Green-black; the upper wings are 
marked with six transparent dots, the lower ones with 
two; the abdomen with a yellow belt.—It is found in 
6 E many 
