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 VllI, Fig. 7, 6 (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 

 -3.2^ 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. 



97 



