SPHINX VESPIFORMIS:
AN ESSAY
BY
EDWARD NEWMAN.
LONDON:
FREDERICK WESTLEY & A. H. DAVIS,
STATIONERS' HALL COURT.
1832.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. CLAY, BREAD STREET HILL,
CHEAPSIDE.
TO
HIS HIGHLY-ESTEEMED FRIEND,
BRACY CLARK, ESQ.
FELLOW OF THE LINNÆAN SOCIETY OF LONDON,
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE
OF FRANCE,
&c. &c.
THIS LITTLE ESSAY
IS
DEDICATED
BY
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
The question—What was the Sphinx Vespiformis of Linnæus?—is one thathas occurred to almost every entomologist. It seemed rather strangethat Linnæus should have described, in all his works, an insect whichhad no existence; yet that really appeared to be the case. Laspeyres,the clever monographer of the Europæan Sesiæ, previously to theappearance of that work, wrote to my highly valued and ingeniousfriend, Mr. Clark, requesting that he would investigate and describefor him the real Linnæan specimen of Vespiformis which was in theLinnæan cabinet, at that time in the possession of the late Sir J. E.Smith. Mr. Clark not only described the specimen in question, butemployed that excellent artist, Sydenham Edwards, to make a drawing ofit, which was forthwith forwarded to Berlin. Laspeyresexclaims—"Sed quod spectaculum!—Sesia asiliformiserat."[1] This was too much to believe; the search was given up ashopeless, and the existence of the Linnæan Vespiformis was pretty muchconsidered a fable. On making some inquiries, a few months back, aboutthe species of Ægeria, the total loss of one out of the three Linnæanspecies appeared a little unaccountable; and seeing the name of myfriend in Laspeyres' work, in the note above referred to, I determinedto have recourse to him, as the best authority on the subject. Mr.Clark, with the greatest kindness, at once accompanied me to pay avisit to the said Sphinx, now in possession of the Linnæan Society: weinstantly, on seeing it, fell in with the decision ofLaspeyres—"Sesia asiliformis erat;" yet it agreed excellentlywith the character which Linnæus had assigned to Vespiformis: "Alis fenestratis; abdomine barbato nigro; incisuris tribusposterioribus margine flavis: capite annulo flavo."[2] —Nocharacter could be more correct; the specimen was labelled in thehandwriting of Linnæus, and the fenestrated wings merely arose fromthe specimen being exceedingly wasted. The fact was decided: the proofis open to all; and the existence of Sphinx Vespiformis musthenceforth cease to be a fable.
To ascertain the place among insects, or even animated beings, whichthis Sphinx Vespiformis naturally occupies, I have attempted in thefollowing pages.
The Systema Naturæ has for years been the object of my mostdiligent search; but the idea which I have here taken of the subjectis scarcely a month old. An anxiety to hear the opinions of others hasurged me to scribble the