Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed. Words printed in italics are noted with underscores: _italics_. The cover of this ebook was created by the transcriber and is hereby placed in the public domain. SPHINX VESPIFORMIS: AN ESSAY BY EDWARD NEWMAN. "All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and GOD the soul." 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 that has occurred to almost every entomologist. It seemed rather strange that Linnæus should have described, in all his works, an insect which had no existence; yet that really appeared to be the case. Laspeyres, the clever monographer of the _Europæan Sesiæ_, previously to the appearance of that work, wrote to my highly valued and ingenious friend, Mr. Clark, requesting that he would investigate and describe for him the real Linnæan specimen of Vespiformis which was in the Linnæan cabinet, at that time in the possession of the late Sir J. E. Smith. Mr. Clark not only described the specimen in question, but employed that excellent artist, Sydenham Edwards, to make a drawing of it, which was forthwith forwarded to Berlin. Laspeyres exclaims--"_Sed quod spectaculum!_--_Sesia asiliformis erat_."[1] This was too much to believe; the search was given up as hopeless, and the existence of the Linnæan Vespiformis was pretty much considered a fable. On making some inquiries, a few months back, about the species of Ægeria, the total loss of one out of the three Linnæan species appeared a little unaccountable; and seeing the name of my friend in Laspeyres' work, in the note above referred to, I determined to have recourse to him, as the best authority on the subject. Mr. Clark, with the greatest kindness, at once accompanied me to pay a visit to the said Sphinx, now in possession of the Linnæan Society: we instantly, on seeing it, fell in with the decision of Laspeyres--"_Sesia asiliformis erat_;" yet it agreed excellently with the character which Linnæus had assigned to Vespiformis: "_Alis fenestratis; abdomine barbato nigro; incisuris tribus posterioribus margine flavis: capite annulo flavo_."[2]--No character could be more correct; the specimen was labelled in the handwriting of Linnæus, and the fenestrated wings merely arose from the specimen being exceedingly wasted. The fact was decided: the proof is open to all; and the existence of Sphinx Vespiformis must henceforth cease to be a fable.