Note 121 — Part II. ON THE FINAL CAUSES OF TRANSFORMATION. (continued 2)

See the figure in Sepp’s Surinam Lepidoptera, P. 3, Pl. CI., 1848. A specimen in alcohol of the adult caterpillar is in the Berlin Museum. [The following is the synonymy of the above mentioned species:—Macrosila Hasdrubal, Walk. = Pseudosphinx (Sphinx) Tetrio, Linn.; M. Cingulata = Protoparce (Sphinx) Cingulata, Fabr.; M. Rustica = Protoparce (Sphinx) Rustica, Fabr.; Sphinx Convolvuli, Linn. = Protoparce Convolvuli; S. Carolina, Linn. = P. Carolina; the other species remain in the genera, as given above. The following additional species of Sphinginæ and Acherontiinæ have been figured by Butler:—Pseudosphinx Cyrtolophia, Butl., from Madras (loc. cit. Pl. XCI., Figs. 11 and 13); Protoparce Orientalis, Butl., from India, China, Java, &c. (Pl. XCI., Fig. 16); Diludia Vates, Butl. from India, &c. (Pl. XCI., Fig. 18); Nephele Hespera, Fabr., from India, Australia, &c. (Pl. XCI., Fig. 20); Acherontia Morta, Hübn., from Java, China, India, &c. (Pl. XCII., Fig. 9); and A. Medusa, Butl., from nearly the same localities as the last (Pl. XCII., Fig. 10). Most of these species fall under Dr. Weismann’s general remarks, so that it is unnecessary to give detailed descriptions. The most divergent marking is that of P. Cyrtolophia, which has a broad white dorsal line bordered with pink, and two large pink ovals on the back of the four anterior segments, the hindmost and larger of these being bisected by the dorsal line. In N. Hespera the subdorsal line is present on segments 6 to 11 only, and it is highly significant that the oblique stripes are absent from these segments, but are present on the anterior segments, where the subdorsal line fails. With reference to the larva of A. Atropos, Mr. Mansel Weale states (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1878, p. v.) that in S. Africa the ordinary form feeds generally on Solanaceæ, whilst the darker and rarer variety is found only on species of Lantana. The following species of these subfamilies are figured by Burmeister: Amphonyx Jatrophæ (loc. cit. Pl. XI., Fig. 1); Protoparce (Diludia) Florestan, Cram. (Fig. 2); Sphinx Justiciæ, Walk. (Fig. 3); Protoparce (Diludia) Lichenea, Walk. (Fig. 4); Sphinx (Protoparce) Cingulata, Fabr. (Pl. XII., Fig. 1); and Sphinx Cestri (Fig. 5). All these species have the characteristic Sphinx-like markings. Dilophonota Ello, Linn. (Pl. XII., Fig. 2), is greenish-brown with a yellow subdorsal line, and D. Hippothöon (Fig. 4), yellow with a whitish subdorsal. Neither of these has oblique stripes. D. Œnotrus, Cram. (Fig. 3), has neither stripes nor subdorsal, but is uniform brown above, passing into green beneath. Protoparce Albiplaga, Walk. (Pl. XIII., Fig. 2, also Mérian, Pl. III., and Abbot and Smith, I., Pl. XXIV.), pale green with large yellow, black-bordered patches surrounding the spiracles. Pseudosphinx Tetrio, Linn. (Pl. XIII., Fig. 3), and P. Scyron (Fig. 4) are black with broad transverse belts, yellow and white respectively, encircling the middle of each segment. These light bands serve very effectively to break up the uniform surface of the large bodies of these insects, but the whole marking is suggestive of distastefulness. R.M.]