BUTTERFLIES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 163 



Genus PHOEBIS Hubner 

 PHOEBIS EUBULE EUBULE (Liimaens) 



Giant, oe Cloudless, Sulphur ; Eubule; 

 Plate 21, Figure 3 



OcGUi^ence. — Casual late in summer, appearing in limited num- 

 bers nearly every year and occasionally rather frequent in the low- 

 lands near the river and the Eastern Branch. 



There are four specimens from the District in the Schonborn col- 

 lection. Mr. Shoemaker has a specimen which he took in Arling- 

 ton County, Va., above the Free Bridge, on September 21, 1919, and 

 two taken at Licking Bank, Eastern Branch, on September 18, 

 1921, while they were feeding on some refuse matter near the water. 

 I saw three on different days in September, 1907, fly across the Smith- 

 sonian Institution grounds, and three in September, 1921, in the 

 same place. I saw one in the fields beyond Cabin John on Septem- 

 ber 6, 1926, another in same place two days later, and a third by 

 the side of Conduit Koad at the bottom of the western side of the 

 hill just over the Maryland line on the latter date. Two were seen 

 along the canal just beyond Cabin John on September 7, 1929. 



This butterfly is common all along the western shore of Chesa- 

 peake Bay, extending inland to the valley of the Patuxent and the 

 lowlands of HoAvard, Carroll, and Frederick Counties north of 

 Washington. It is also common about the lower Potomac and is 

 frequent as near the District as Alexandria and Falls Church, Va. 



All the individuals captured or seen in the District with a single 

 exception have been males. On September 7, 1929, Hugh U. Clark 

 saw a female at close range by the side of the canal at Cabin John, 

 but was not able to catch it. He is thoroughly familiar with this 

 butterfly, having seen it in large numbers in Florida, Georgia, South 

 and North Carolina, and along Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, and 

 having caught the females in Florida and Maryland, so that there 

 can be no doubt of the correctness of his record. 



While this memoir was in press the preceding observation was 

 confirmed by his capture of a female at Silver Spring, on September 

 14, 1931. This is the only individual that has been reported from 

 this locality. It was found flopping about on the main road, having 

 been struck by a passing automobile. There is, of course, a possibil- 

 ity that it had been picked up some distance away and simply dropped 

 there. 



Habits. — The giant sulphur has a swift and very erratic flight, 

 this way and that and more or less up and down. It is extremely 

 restless and energetic and seldom pauses. It usually travels at a 



