338 PORTIONS OF A LETTER 



1 am quite unable to explain the mystery, so, like many other 

 wiseacres, I content myself with wondering how, in the name 

 of fortune, the aphites got there. 



Another odd station for aphites is on the roots of plants. 

 I have found them by hundreds on a thistle root, closely 

 packed together, and almost as white as snow. The other 

 day I pulled up a large thistle that grew on an ant-hill, and 

 thus I brought to light a whole colony of these white aphites. 

 I had long known of the great value which ants set on these 

 little beasts, so I shook down some dozens of them from the 

 thistle root, among the ants, which were all a-swarm at the 

 damage I had done to their dwelling. No sooner were the 

 ants aware of the presence of the aphites than they began to 

 fondle them with their legs — sometimes positively taking them 

 round the neck — to tap them on the back with their antennae, 

 and to lick them with their tongues ; they then took hold of 

 them with their jaws, lifted them from the ground, and carried 

 them with the greatest care, one by one, into the recesses of 

 the nest. 



I walked by the same way about three hours afterwards, 

 and found the nest all quiet and orderly, and not an aphis was 

 to be seen ; so I went to work with my knife and scraped 

 down the side of the hill. I soon came to the aphites ; they 

 were clustered together on little bits of thistle root, which had 

 been broken off in the ground, and were attended by numbers 

 of ants. As soon as the ants found their cattle were again in 

 jeopardy, they drew them gently from the root and carried 

 them still further into the nest. I am quite convinced that 

 honey-dew is the excrement of aphites, and that ants devour 

 this honey-dew, and a sweet clear liquid honey it is. I have 

 often watched an ant go from one aphis to another, stand 

 behind each, and gently squeeze the body with its fore legs ; 

 perhaps one aphis in ten, not more, will give out a small drop 

 of honey as clear as crystal, which the ants instantly swallow. 

 The ants take much more care of the aphites than the aphites 

 do of themselves : they are sad dull, stupid creatures. It is 

 very pretty to see the licking and washing and cleaning and 

 caressing which the ants constantly bestow on them. When 

 the aphites cast their skin, the ants instantly carry it away, 

 nor will they let any dirt or rubbish remain among them or 

 on them. But the most amusing care of the ant is guarding 



