840 



ANNUAL REGISTER, iSOi. 



<' proceeded to the ninth generation 

 *' with the same success ; and so far 

 •' from cOQsidering that as the ut- 

 *' most extent of the effect, he 

 *' thinks it might be carried on to 

 <' the thirtieth generation. In most 

 *' species of aphides, both males 

 " and females acquire wings at cer- 

 " tain seasons ; but in this respect 

 *' they are subject to great varia- 

 *' tion, there being some males and 

 *' some females that never hare 

 *' wings ; again there are some fe- 

 •' males that become winged, while 

 *' others of the same species do not. 

 *' In the quality of the excrement 

 *' Toided by these insects there is 

 *' something very extraordinary. 

 *' Were a person accidentally to 

 *' take up a book in which it was 

 *' gravely asserted that in some 

 *' countries there were certain ani- 

 *' mals which voided liquid sugarj 

 *<• he would soon lay it down, re- 

 " garding it as a fabulous tale, calcu- 

 " lated to impose on the credulity of 

 *' the ignorant; and yet such is li- 

 *' terally the truth. The superior 

 *' size of the aphis salicis will enable 

 *' the most common observer to sa- 

 *• tisfy himself on this head. On 

 " looking stedfastly for a few 

 *' minutes on a group of these in- 

 " sects, while feeding on the bark of 

 *' the willow, one perceives a few of 

 *' them elevate their bodies, and a 

 *' transparent substance, evidently 

 *' drop frem them, which is im- 

 *' mediately followed by a similar 

 *' motion and discharge, like a small 

 *' shower, from a great number of 

 *' others. At first I Mas not aware 

 *' that the substance thus dropping 

 *' from these animals at such stated 

 *' intervals was their excrement, 



but was convinced of its being so 

 aftcr^rards ; for, on a more accu- 

 rate examination, I found it pro- 

 ceed from the extremity of the 

 abdomen, as is usual in other in- 

 sects. On placing a piece of wri- 

 ting-paper under a mass of these 

 insects, it soon became thickly 

 spotted : holding it a longer time, 

 the spots united from the addition 

 of otliers, and the whole surface 

 assumed a glossy appearance. I 

 tasted this substance, and found it 

 as sweet as sugar. I had the less 

 hesitation in doing this, having 

 observed that wasps, ants, flies, 

 and insects without number, de- 

 voured it as quickly as it was 

 produced ; but were it not for 

 these, it might no doubt be col- 

 lected in considerable quantities, 

 and if subjected to the processes 

 used with other saccharine juices, 

 might be converted into the 

 choicest sugar or sugar-candy. 

 It is a fact also which appears 

 worthy of noticing here, that 

 though wasps arc so partial to this 

 food, yet the bees* appear totally 

 to' disregard it." 



" In the height of summer, when 

 the weather is hot and dry, and 

 aphides are most abundant, the 

 foliage of trees and plants, (more 

 especially in some years than 

 others) is found covered with and 

 rendered glossy by a sweet clammy 

 substance known to persons 

 resident in the country by the 

 name of honey-dew : they regard 

 it as a sweet substance falling from 

 the atmosphere, as i(s name im- 

 plies. The sweetness of this ux- 

 crementitious substance, the glossy 

 appearance it gave to the leaves 



"it 



* Yet Mr. White in his history of Selborne obsenreg that it is " very grateful to 

 " bees, who gather it with great assiduity." 



