EASTERN UNITED STATED. 33 



where the .sun shines through a break in the trees, sip- 

 ping sweets from the flowers or basking on a leaf; but if 

 some other patch of sunshine is sought, it is by nearly 

 direct flight. It is true such butterflies as Debis Port- 

 landia are almost habitually in the shade ; but even they 

 are more active on sunshiny days than when the sky is 

 overcast with clouds. 



The direction of the wind seems to affect all insect 







life. Though the sun may shine in a cloudless sky, if 

 the wind blow moderately strong from the northwest, 

 butterflies take to the wing but little ; and there is more 

 in this than the fact that a wind prevents their flying 

 with ease. A much stronger south wind would tempt 

 them forth and cause them to be blown about where the 

 wind was strongest, but behind some hill or sheltering 

 wood they would be found more at their ease. 



The habits of different species in the places they fre- 

 quent vary greatly. There are a few species, as Colia* 

 Phttodice, Danais Archippus, and a few others, that are 

 to be found everywhere within the limits of their range, 

 in wood and field, town and country. Papilio Astcrias 

 is another species that has a wide range, while P. Tro- 

 iluSj Ajax, Philenoi', and Oresphontes are confined more 

 to the open woods, where they may be seen in search of 

 their food-plants, or hovering over the flowers of some 

 Vernonia or Eupatorium, or slaking their thirst at a 

 damp place in the road. AVith wind and weather favor- 

 able, these may often be seen on flowers at a distance 



*/ 



from the woods. Cattidryas Eubule and Sennas, when 

 they occur in this region, are to be found in the fields or 

 open w r oods ; but they fly rapidly, stopping for a moment 



on flowers, seemingly as though migrating. From this 

 c 



