APHIS. 
. 17 ^ 
observer to satisfy himself on this head. On look- 
ing stedfastly for a few minutes on a groupe of 
these insects while feeding on the bark of the 
willow, one perceives a few of them elevate their 
bodies, and a transparent substance evidently drop 
from them, which is immediately followed by a 
similar motion, and discharge like a small shower 
from a great number of others. At first I was 
not aware that the substance thus dropping from 
these animals at such stated intervals was their 
excrement, but was convinced of its being so 
afterAvardsj for on a more accurate examination I 
found it proceed from the extremity of the abdo- 
men, as is usual in other insects. On placing a 
piece of writing-paper under a mass of these in- 
sects, it soon became thickly spotted: holding it a 
longer time, the spots united from the addition of 
others, and the whole surface assumed a glossy 
appearance. I tasted this substance, and found it 
as sweet as sugar. I had the less hesitation in 
iloing this, having observed that wasps, ants, flies, 
and insects without number, devoured it as quick- 
ly as it was produced; but were it not for these, 
it might no doubt be collected in considerable 
quantities, and if subjected to the processes used 
with other saccharine juices, might be converted 
into the choicest sugar or sugar-candy. It is a 
fact also which appears worthy of noticing here, 
that though wasps are so partial to this food, yet 
the bees* appear totally to disregard it.” 
* Yet Mr. White in his History of Selborne observes tliat it 
is very grateful to bees, who gather it with great assiduity.” 
