The Mourning Cloak is a large butterfly native to Eurasia and North America. This powerful flier is sometimes found in areas far from its usual range during migration. The Mourning Cloak has a lifespan of 11-12 months, one of the most extensive lifespans for any butterfly.
The Tiger Swallowtail is native to eastern North America as well as Turkey. The male is yellow with four black “tiger stripes” on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black. This model is based off of the female yellow morph.
The Buckeye is found in southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia; all parts of the United States except the Northwest.. The bold pattern of eyespots and white bars on the upper wing surface is distinctive in much of its range. The eyespots likely serve to startle or distract predators, especially young birds.
China Clipper (NC14716) was the first of three Martin M-130 four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways. In November of 1935 it was used to inaugurate the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila by way of Honolulu, Midway and Wake Island. It continued to fly the Pacific for the next eight years carrying approximately 3,500 passengers and 750,000 lbs of mail and freight.
Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands. The world’s busiest ferry route is the Staten Island Ferry which shuttles commuters between Manhattan and Staten Island in New York City. However, the Washington State Ferry system operates the largest ferry fleet in the United States with 22 ferries that cross Puget Sound and its inland waterways, carrying over 23 million passengers.
The Tower of the Americas is a 750-foot observation tower/restaurant on the southeastern edge of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The tower was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair. It was the tallest observation tower in the United States until 1996 when the Las Vegas Stratosphere Tower was completed.