Mr. CuRTis's Obfervat'torts on Aphides. 93 



in number. On forae of the branches they had quite difappeared, 

 but on others great numbers dill remained in mafles. Difeafe was 

 now making havock among them ; the bodies of many were fvvolleii 

 and difcoloured. Mod of them were fufpended by the probofch^ ftill 

 inferted into the bark of the tree ; their juices were of a deep purple 

 or blackifh hue. Not a Wafp to be feen, but few Flies, and fewer 

 Coccinel/a^ the only natural enemy to which we have obferved this 

 fpecies to be fubje6t. 



Nov. 10. On opening the abdomen of one of the largeft females, 

 I counted fixty-one young, large and fmall. 



Put by in three feparate pill-boxes, placed in a warm clofet to 

 the fouth-weft, many large pregnant apterous Aphides, and many 

 males with their wings perfe6lly expanded, and others with their 

 wings not expanded. 



The large apterous Aphides depofited young in the boxes, but all 

 of them died in lefs than a fortnight. Thefe feveral Aphides were 

 placed in this fituation to fee if they would live through the winter, 

 as they would be out of the reach of frofl. 



Nov. 21. Opened the body of a female Aphis, and found it to 

 contain forty-fix young; three parts of thefe at lead were fuch, and 

 the fmalleft of them had more the appearance of embryos than eggs. 



At the clofe of the month of May 1799, ^^^^^ ^ very long and 

 hard winter, plants were more free from Aphides than ufual ; yet, 

 in fheltercd gardens particularly, I found them on the top fhoots of 

 t^ees, (none on herbaceous plants) as the currant, goofeberry, apple, 

 cherry, and common fpindle tree. As yet, few of them had wings. 

 It would appear from this circumftance, that the female muft lay her 

 eggs in hard winters on the extremities of the branches. 



Obferved the excrement of a black Aphis clear and tranfparent,, 

 but the liquor from the tubular Cornicula was of a purple colour. 



4 It 



