into a corresponding error, by taking the peculiarities of the caterpillar and metamorphoses too much into account, to the entire neglect of the mature forms. The most remarkable of this description is that of Dennis and Schiffermüller, published anonymously at Vienna in 1776, founded exclusively on the caterpillar. It attracted little attention in this country till a comparatively recent period, when considerable prominence was given to it by Dr. Horsfield, who adopted a similar method, and applied it to the Lepidoptera of Java. Nearly all the groups, indicated and named by the authors above mentioned, have since been established as genera. The following is a view of their system, as far as it applies to sphinges and moths, with the names of the modern genera attached.[1]
Sphinx is divided into seven families:—
| A. | Larvæ acrocephalæ. Smerinthus ocellatus. |
| B. | ...... amplocephalæ. Sphinx convolvuli. |
| C. | ...... maculatæ. Dielephila Euphorbia. |
| D. | ...... opthalmicæ. Metopsilus celerio. |
| E. | ...... elongatae. Macroglossa stellatarum. |
| F. | ...... subpilosæ. Sesia apiformis. |
| G. | ...... phalæniformes. Zygæna filipendulæ. |
Bombyx is divided into twenty families:—
| A. | Larvæ sphingiformes. Endromis versicolora. |
| B. | ...... verticillatæ. Saturnia Pyri. |
- ↑ See Westwood's Intro. to Modern Class, of Insects, vol. ii. p. 326,
