THE HONEY-BEE. 121 



fretter. That a species of honey-dew is secreted hy 

 the Aphides, there can be no doubt; but that in 

 these insects we are to look for its exclusive source, 

 is a proposition we do not think borne out by facts. 

 " If it fell from the atmosphere/' says Curtis, " it 

 would cover every thing on which it fell indiscri- 

 minately ; whereas, we never find it but on certain 

 living plants and trees." The proposition in the be- 

 ginning of this quotation we readily accede to ; the 

 assertion at its close we can contradict from personal 

 observation. We have, as already stated, seen the 

 dry stones and gravel walks in the neighbourhood of 

 plantations completely spotted with the liquid in a 

 sultry summer evening ; and this, be it observed, not 

 immediately under the trees, so as to warrant the 

 supposition that it had been projected there by the 

 aphides above, but at the distance of many yards 

 from any plant or tree on which the insects might 

 have taken their station. Curtis maintains, also, that 

 " though wasps are partial to this food, bees appear 

 totally to disregard it." He is surely mistaken in 

 this. During the continuance of honey-dew, every 

 oak, elm, plane, and lime tree is literally covered 

 with these insects; and the observer has only to 

 bring the tip of his tongue in contact with one of the 

 leaves, to be convinced that the honey-dew is there, 

 and that this is the great attraction to the bees, which 

 are eagerly availing themselves of the liquid treasure, 

 and expressing their delight in the joyous hum that 

 is heard over head. The most obvious way, per- 

 haps, of reconciling such well-known facts with the 



