THE NATURALIST ABROAD. 67 



Many expedients have been tried for destroying the Fly, or eluding its ravages, 

 but hitherto without much success ; though a plan proposed and acted upon by 

 Mr. Eyton,* of using iron props for the Hops, instead of poles, is said to have been 

 beneficial to a considerable extent. Planters, however, living close to woodland 

 districts, where poles are abundant, will, I imagine, resort to the iron system in 

 very few instances ; hence I am led to suggest the use of poles stripped of their 

 bark, as of course the cleaner they are, the less liable will they be to harbour 

 insects, as they now do in the crannies of the bark. But perhaps, under 

 every precaution employed, the Aphides will come ; for certain it is that soon 

 after May commences, troops are seen on the wing about the Hop-grounds, and 

 shortly spread themselves over the plants, where producing a young progeny, 

 these latter, as has been well-ascertained, after ingulphing their rostra into 

 the leaves, and commencing the pumping-up process, rapidly increase in size, 

 and, without any sexual intercourse, give birth to others, who proceed in the 

 same manner to the end of the season, when winged ones are at last produced. 

 These take their flight, pair, and are seen no more till the following spring, when 

 the same process re-commences. From this sketch it may easily be conceived, 

 that something more than a " moral cheek" is required to stop the consequences 

 of this extraordinary fecundity ; and though, to a certain, extent it is very pro- 

 bable the Aphis may not be injurious,}- yet if that boundary is overstepped, 

 ruin and destruction is the result. Here, however, a beautiful little family of 

 coleopterous insects, the Coccinellidee, step in to perform their useful services, 

 and keep the Aphides from overstepping the limits assigned them. 



If we now turn our attention to the Hop-leaves, clammy as they are, and many 

 of them swarming with Aphides, we shall perceive several circular patches of 

 yellow. If we examine closely, these will be seen to be eggs, and that they are 

 those of the Coccinellte will be evident, for there is a female of C quadripuncta 

 depositing her eggs, which she does very curiously and regularly, advancing and 

 retracting her ovipositor till she has completed her yellow circle. But if we look 

 about, numbers of C. septempunctata, the Common Ladybird, and C. bipunctata, 

 are busy with their nuptial festivities, and all will soon be prepared for a mortal 

 exterminating war upon the Aphides. We shall now turn our attention to the 

 larva of C. septempunctata, already hatched, active, and, small as his frame may 

 appear, with all the murderous ferocity of the Wolf in his composition ! He is jrf 

 a dusky blue colour, with four double orange-coloured spots on the segments of the 

 body, and two on the thorax. He has six legs, and, moving swiftly along, seizes 

 without compunction upon his helpless prey, devouring them upon the spot, till 

 he has cleared the leaf, when he proceeds to another, with the pride of a 



* Report of the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London, 

 f I am of this opinion because almost every tree and plant has its peculiar Aphis. 



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