256 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



into a compact body for such journeys; but they certainly move 

 in parties. 



Nothing remarkable occurred, so far as I am aware, at the 

 first or later spring migration of 1885 ; but the migration of July 

 and August was notable for the number of Aphides that were on 

 the wing in some counties, and the period during which this 

 migration continued, — certainly about a fortnight in North Kent. 

 Of course in this time the wind blew from various quarters, but 

 chiefly from the N.N.W. and N.E. Concerning the species I am 

 not able to speak positively ; that there were several thus 

 migrating I fully believe, but on most days two were particularly 

 recognisable, viz., a green Aphis, which seemed to correspond 

 with Aphis Jmmuli or its variety malaheb, an insect which, though 

 named from the hop, occurs upon fruit trees, the rose, and a 

 variety of plants. The other was smaller, and a blackish species, 

 resembling, if not identical with, Myzus cerasi, occurring upon 

 the cherry and allied plants. By far the greater number were of 

 the green sort ; probably on most days there were six or eight of 

 these to one of the darker insects. I have not an exact date, but 

 it was about July 20th when the Aphides appeared notably in the 

 roads and lanes of North Kent, the number varying from day to 

 day. Sometimes after a short walk an individual would be seen 

 with as many as thirty or forty Aphides dotted over his garments ; 

 and they entered the eyes and ears occasionally, causing annoyance 

 or even alarm. Circumstances led me to walk across the metro- 

 polis, on Wednesday, July 29th, from Commercial Road, E., to 

 Belgravia in the west, and all the distance I found Aphides 

 floating in the air. This, however, is no proof that at the time a 

 wave of Aphides, so to speak, was passing across the country, 

 scattering stragglers as it moved. I only infer from it that the 

 Aphides of the suburban gardens were afflicted with the same 

 lestlessness that their country kin showed. 



At Gravesend the climax of this migration was reached on 

 Saturday, August 1st, when the swarms of these insects was a 

 subject of common remark amongst those in the streets ; and 

 they were most numerous of all at the foot of High Street and 

 upon the shore adjacent. An investigation of the line of their 

 movement made the fact undoubted that they must have crossed 

 to us from the Essex coast; how far they had travelled inland 

 previously can only be conjectured vaguely ; but they must have 



