APHIS CUCURBITI. 67 



Pale yellow-green. Head, prothorax, thorax, and 

 nectaries black. Eyes red. Antennae and legs fine 

 ochreous colour. Neck-ring, abdomen, and tail fine 

 yellow. Cornicles short, black. Three or four spots 

 on each abdominal edge, and two dotted bars across 

 the dorsum. Wings pale, with yellow cubitus, stigma, 

 and insertions. Other veins pale brown. 



This pretty Aphis infests the under sides of the 

 leaves of the melon plants at Carshalton, Surrey ; 

 specimens were sent to me in September by the late 

 Mr. Smee. I have also taken this insect on the vesfe- 

 table-marrow. Mr. Walker has pointed out in the 

 ' Zoologist ' an Aphis destructive to this last plant, 

 which he names Aphis illata, but it does not appear to 

 be the Aphis above described. 



An Aphis much infests various Cucurbitacese of North 

 America, but is not clear from the description to what 

 species it may be referred. A Canadian writer strongly 

 expresses his opinion in favour of Morren's view as to 

 the honey-dew being employed as a nourishing fluid for 

 the young Aphides. He says that he " saw the mother 

 Aphis which infests Cucurbita ovifera, acting in obedi- 

 ence to the child's wish (expressed by caressing its 

 parent with its antennse), by slowly elevating the 

 posterior part of her abdomen, and ejecting a drop on 

 the head of the latter." He ascribes to the ant also the 

 power of communicating to its fellows facts which are 

 beneficial to their general economy. " Thus, at one 

 time the Aphis was a juicy morsel for an ant, but at 

 last there appeared an ant more sagacious than its 

 fellows, who discovered the hidden virtues of this" 

 Aphis secretion, and then diffused the news through 

 its own and other colonies. From this time the most 

 friendly relations have arisen between these insects."* 

 Such has been the march of intellect in this direction 

 according to our author ! 



* ' Canadian Entomologist,' No. 1, 1874, vi, pp. 5-8. Vide ' Zoologist,' 

 vii, App. xliii. 



