186 GENERATION OF APHIDES. 



it dies, becomes white, and resembles a brilliant bead or pearl." 

 Every Aphis-covered rose-leaf will furnish instances of what 

 is here described. 



There is yet another peculiarity which distinguishes the 

 Aphis from perhaps every other creature in the animal world, 

 a physical enigma about which the divers into nature's secrets 

 long puzzled their heads in vain, until at last a clever, patient 

 Frenchman"* hit upon what is considered its solution. 



Now, when you see in spring or early summer, a group of 

 Aphides, a group of leaves covered with them, or even a group 

 of trees which they have made their own, it is certain (at least 

 we can answer for the fact on good authority), that in all the 

 multitude on which you cast your eye, you will be looking 

 on none but Aphides (whether winged or wingless) of the 

 feminine gender. " AYliere then are the lords of these nume- 

 rous ladies?" is a question you very naturally ask. Why, they 

 are not in existence and never have been. The ladies may have 

 had fathers, they have children (to be seen like chickens busy 

 with their bills around them) but with perfect truth, and with- 

 out a shadow of imputation on their spotless characters, they 

 neither have, nor ever have had husbands. 



Now suppose all the elderly matrons presiding over this 

 assembly to have gone the way of all flesh of Aphides, and 

 that you are looking on a similar company composed of their 

 immediate descendants. Still presenting the same remarkable 



* M.Tremblev 



