Genus Dione 
I cannot at all agree with those who have recently classed this 
butterfly with the Heliconians. In spite of certain resemblances 
in the early stages between the insect we are considering and 
the early stages of some of the Heliconians, and in spite of the 
shape of the wings, which are remarkably elongated, there are 
structural peculiarities enough to compel us to keep this insect 
in the ranks of the Nymphalinse, where it has been placed for 
sixty years by very competent and critical observers. In a popu¬ 
lar work like this it manifestly is out of place to enter into a 
lengthy discussion of a question of this character, but it seems 
proper to call attention to the fact that in the judgment of the 
writer the location of this genus in the preceding subfamily does 
violence to obvious anatomical facts. 
(i) Dione vanillae, Linnaeus, Plate VIII, Fig. 7, $ (The Gulf 
Fritillary). 
Butterfly .—The upper side is bright fulvous; the veins on the 
fore wings are black, very heavy near the tip; there are four 
black spots on the outer border, and three discal spots of the 
same color; there are three irregular black spots toward the end 
of the cell, pupiled with white; the hind wings have a black 
border inclosing rounded spots of the ground-color; between the 
base and the outer margin there are three or four black spots; the 
under side of the fore wings is light orange, the markings of 
the upper side showing through upon the under side; the apex 
of the front wing is brown, inclosing light silvery spots; the sec¬ 
ondaries are brown, with numerous elongated bright silver spots 
and patches. The female does not differ from the male, except 
that she is darker and the markings are heavier. Expanse, 2.50 
-3.25 inches. 
Caterpillar .— The caterpillar is cylindrical, with the head 
somewhat smaller than the body, pale yellowish-brown in color, 
marked with longitudinal dark-brown bands, of which the two 
upon the side are deeper in color than the one upon the back, 
which latter is sometimes almost entirely effaced; the base is 
slaty-black. There are orange spots about the spiracles. There 
are six rows of black branching spines upon the body, and two 
similar spines upon the head, these latter somewhat recurved. 
The feet and legs are black. The caterpillar feeds upon the 
various species of passion-flower which are found in the South¬ 
ern States. 
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