68 BULLETIN 15 7, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Genus CERCYONIS Scudder 



CERCYONIS ALOPE ALOPE (Fabricius) 



Goggle Eye 

 Plate 3, Figures 3, 4 



Occurrence. — Locally distributed and usually infrequent, but in 

 a few localities common. It is found very sparingly along the edges 

 of the fields from Cabin John to Great Falls, along the edges of the 

 woods in Kock Creek Park, and along the wooded borders of the 

 fields at Silver Spring. In the low grassy lands along the Eastern 

 Branch and in the meadows at Beltsville it is common near the edges 

 of the woods, and also for some distance within the woods them- 

 selves wherever there is a considerable growth of pines. 



The goggle eye frequents grassy hillside meadows dotted with 

 bushes and cedar trees, more or less damp pastures in which it keeps 

 rather closely to the hedges, shrubbery, or the borders of woodland, 

 and open woods, particularly where pines are common. Sometimes, 

 when very abundant, it will wander widely out over grassy fields and 

 meadows. 



Habits. — In this region the goggle eye is more of a woodland 

 butterfly than farther north, and it is most abundant along over- 

 grown wood roads and in glades and clearings along the Eastern 

 Branch. In this district it is also common in the fields close to the 

 borders of the woods. 



It is alert, wary, and very quick, being, perhaps, the most difficult 

 of all the local butterflies to catch. It has a strong, highly irregular, 

 jumping flight, and is particularly fond of perching on the trunks 

 of trees, especially pines, about 5 feet above the ground, head down, 

 the wings closed, and the fore wings drawn well out so as to expose 

 the eye spots. In this position it will not permit of a close approach, 

 and if startled dodges around the trunk and makes rapidly off, keep- 

 ing the trunk between itself and its pursuer. If startled it will often 

 dash into a tangled mass of brambles or other herbage and perch 

 on a twig, exposing its eye spots to the full. 



Frequently it will alight in its impetuous manner upon a stone, 

 log, or leaf, or even on the bare ground, immediately turning so as 

 to bring its closed wings at right angles to the sun's rays, then sud- 

 denly inclining so that the sun's rays fall perpendicularly upon them. 

 More rarely it turns so that its closed wings are parallel to the 

 sun's rays, in which position it casts no shadow. If suspicious of 

 danger it is very careful to keep the eye spots exposed to the full. 



When in open fields, away from woods or bushes, it has a languid, 

 dancing flight much like that of the grass nymph, though stronger. 

 Jf frightened it flies rapidly and wildly for a variable distance and 



