273 



APKREA. 



APHIS. 



271 



importance distinguishes the real Apes from the rest of the Quadru- 

 mana, namely, the want of cheek-pouches. These are sacs or cavi- 

 ties in the cheeks, which open inside the mouth between the cheek 

 and the lower jaw, and serve to hold any extra provision which the 

 animal may not at the moment require. The Semnopithed alone, of 

 all the other monkeys of the old world, resemble the Apes in this 

 respect, and hence arise some of the most striking resemblances which 

 the characters and habits of these two genera present. In other 

 respects they are sufficiently distinguished from one another by the 

 long tails of the Semnopithed, not to mention their extremities of 

 nearly equal length, and the peculiar structure of their stomachs and 

 teeth. Another character, which is common to all the other known 

 Quadrumana of the old continents, is found in some species only of 

 the real Apes, and is absent in others : this is the possession of Callosi- 

 ties, which are naked callous parts of the buttocks, upon which these 

 animals sit when fatigued by the violent and rapid movements which 

 they habitually execute. Illiger and some other zoologists have con- 

 sidered this circumstance of sufficient importance to warrant the 

 separation of the Apes into two distinct genera, the one characterised by 

 the absence of callosities, the other by the presence of them ; but it is 

 to be observed, that, even where these organs do exist in the Apes, it is 

 always in a rudimentary form ; they are never developed to such an 

 extent as to influence the habits of the animals, and are consequently 

 unfit to be considered as generic characters. In other respects, 

 except in these diminutive callosities, the Gibbons do not differ from 

 the Orangs and Chimpanzees ; they have the same system of dentition, 

 the same organs of sense, and the same singular modification of the 

 locomotive organs ; their manner of life also is precisely the same ; 

 both equally take up their habitation in the thickest and most soli- 

 tary forests ; they inhabit the same countries, and live upon the same 

 food. 



The teeth of the Apes, as indeed of all the other monkeys of the 

 old world, are of the same number as in man ; nor, as far as the 

 incisors and molars are concerned, do they present any difference in 

 form ; but in the adult animals, and more especially in the old males, 

 the canines are developed in the same relative proportion as in the 

 Carnivora ; the tusks of the full-grown Orang-Outan are at least as 

 large as those of the lion, and are most formidable weapons. Unfor- 

 tunately we know but little of the manners of these animals in their 

 adult state ; but this circumstance gives us strong reason to suppose 

 that the extreme gentleness and placidity observed in the young 

 individuals usually brought into Europe do not always continue to 

 characterise them in their native climates, but that their disposition 

 alters in proportion to the development of their muscular force, and 

 that in their adult state they are as formidable and mischievous as 

 the Baboons themselves. 



The characters and habits of the Apes present differences which will 

 be noticed in speaking of the several species. As far however as then- 

 general manners have been observed, they appear to be of a grave 

 and gentle disposition, totally free from that petulance and mischie- 

 vous curiosity which so strongly characterise the monkeys, properly 

 so called, are very affectionate towards those who treat them kindly, 

 solemn and deliberate in all their actions, extremely circumspect and 

 intelligent, seldom moved to violent passion, but peevish and fretful 

 when crossed or disappointed. They never walk on two legs except 

 when they have occasion to use the fore hands in carrying something. 

 Nearly or altogether deprived of callosities, they do not repose in the 

 manner of ordinary monkeys, on their hams, but stretch themselves 

 on their aides, like human beings, and support their heads upon their 

 hands, or by some other means supply the use of a pillow. 



For an account of the most remarkable Apes see CHIMPANZEE, 

 ' OUTA.V, and GIBBON. For an arrangement of the species and 

 their relation to other Monkeys see SIMIADJ:, and QCADRUMASA. 



A I'KREA, a species of Wild Guinea-Pig. [CAVT.] 



APK'TA I..K, Plants without Petals, constitute one of the divisions 

 in Jussieu's arrangement of plants according to a natural system. 

 They comprehend all genera which are Dicotyledonous or Exogenous, 

 and which have a calyx without corolla. By some they are called 

 Monochlamydeous. The character by which these plants are defined 

 is as constant as any of those which botanists employ for subordinate 

 divisions, but it must not be considered absolute; for not only are 

 many of the genera which, in consequence of their natural affinities, 

 are included among Apetaloua Plants provided with rudimentary 

 petals, but it occasionally happens that in orders otherwise constantly 

 furnished with a corolla, particular genera occur in which no petals 

 arc produced ; a very remarkable instance of which is to be met with 

 in the pretty little shore-plant found on most of the sandy beaches of 

 this country, and called Glanx marVima. This species is very nearly 

 related to the Primrose, and certainly belongs to the same natural 

 order as that plant, but it has no corolla; in place of which the 

 border of the calyx becomes coloured, and it therefore apparently 

 belongs to the apetalous division, although, in reality, it forms an 

 exception to the character of monopetalous plants. 



AI'HAN'ESITE, a mineral consisting of arsenic acid and oxide of 

 it.h water. 



A I'HERESE, a mineral consisting of phosphoric acid and oxide of 

 copper, and water. 



APHIS, the Plant-Louse, or Puceron, an extensive genua of insects 



NAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. I. 



belonging to the order Homoptera. They are interesting to naturalists 

 on account of their very peculiar economy, and no less so to gardeners 

 and farmers, on whose crops many species commit most destructive 

 depredations. As instances of the latter we may refer to the Hop- 

 Fly (A.Humuli), and the Bean-Dolphin (.4. Fabai), whilst all our garden 

 flowers, such as the Hose, the China-Aster, the Chrysanthemum, and 

 others, suffer from their attacks. During the summer of 1833, the 

 cabbage and turnip crops in Kent were much injured and often 

 destroyed by countless swarms of A , Braxsicas. 



These insects are characterised by a soft oval body, a small head, 

 entire and semi-globular eyes, antennae of seven joints longer than the 

 body, often setaceous, sometimes thickened towards the top, the two 

 joints at the base very short, the next very long and cylindrical. The 

 beak (haustdlum) arises from the under part of the head between the 

 fore legs, and descends almost perpendicularly. The wings, when 

 developed, are four in number, but some naturalists represent the 

 upper wings rather as wing-cases (elytra), from their difference of 

 texture. The legs are very long and slender, in consequence of which 

 they walk awkwardly. 



At the extremity of the abdomen most species are furnished with a 

 pair of projecting tubes, through which they eject a sweet viscid fluid, 

 well known under the name of honey-dew, erroneously supposed to be 

 an exudation from the leaves on which it is found. It is also said that 

 the Aphides feed on this, which is impossible from the structure of 

 their mouths. Ants however and bees are very fond of it. 



In sketching the history of these singular insects, it will be most 

 convenient to begin it at the close of autumu, when many of the 

 species, such as A. Qiiercim, A. Rus<r, &c., are numerous, some winged 

 and some without wings, of both sexes, so that while the first may 

 fly to a distance, the second are confined to their native plant or its, 

 vicinity. 



After pairing, the mother Aphis deposits what have been by some 

 naturalists termed eggs, in a place suitable for their passing the 

 winter ; but different places are chosen by different species. Some 

 choose the oak, and place the eggs on an exposed twig high on the 

 tree, others in the sheltered crevices of bark, or even under ground. 

 Bonnet seems to be of opinion that the Aphides are always viviparous 

 and never lay eggs, what are commonly called eggs produced in 

 autumn being a sort of cocoon, consisting of the young Aphis 

 inclosed in an envelope. From our own observations on those of 

 the oak, we are convinced that this is the fact ; but we cannot affirm, 

 upon negative evidence, that none of the species lay real eggs. 



The cocoons or eggs, whichever they may be, remain torpid during 

 the winter (the parents having died after producing them), and are 

 called into b'fe with the return of genial weather in the spring. The 

 number of insects produced must of course correspond to the number 

 of cocoons or eggs laid the preceding autumn, but being all ushered 

 into active life at the same time, their simultaneous appearance has 

 led to the popular but erroneous notion, that they are generated by 

 the air. Blighting weather, as it is termed, is also accused of spreading 

 the destructive swarms over hop-grounds or bean-fields, but their rapid 

 increase is wholly caused by their wonderful powers of multiplying. 



All the Aphides, it has been well ascertained, which appear in spring 

 are exclusively females, no males being found till the autumn ; and 

 these females are endowed with a fecundity almost incredible. M. 

 Latreiile says that one female during the summer months will produce 

 about 25 a day, and M. Reaumur calculated that one Aphis may be the 

 progenitor, during its life, of the enormous number of 5,904,900,000 

 descendants. It is not necessary for the young female Aphides pro- 

 duced during summer to pair with a male, which indeed would be 

 impossible, as no males are then to be found ; yet these females go on 

 producing each their 25 a day of living young ones, all of which become 

 in a short time as fertile as their parent. 



The following calculation of the fecundity of a species of Aphis 

 from Professor Owen's lectures on 'Comparative Anatomy,' will afford 

 some explanation of the extraordinary numbers in which these 

 creatures sometimes occur. "The Aphi laniyem produces each 

 year 10 viviparous broods, and one which is oviparous, and each 

 generation averages 100 individuals : 



1st generation 1 



2d 100 



3d 10,000 



4th 1,000,000 



5th 100,000,000 



6th .... 10,000,000,000 



7th ... 1,000,000,000,000 



8th . . 100,000,000,000,000 



9th . 10,000,000,000,000,000 

 10th 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 u= HU . UUUUUU . 

 If the oviparous generation be added to this you will have a thirty 

 times greater result." 



The female Aphides thus produced must be regarded as larvae, but 

 they present a more developed condition than the larva) of Coleoptera 

 and Lepidoptera. The compound eyes are developed on the head, and 

 the antenna) have acquired their mature form and proportions ; the 

 six thoracic legs have attained their due growth and development. 

 The only change which these fertile larvse afterwards undergo is 

 increase of size, and development of the reproductive tissues. In the 



T 



Aphis produces 



one hundred 



ten thousand 



one million 



one hundred millions 



ten billions 



one trillion 



one hundred trillions 



ten quatrillions 



one quintillion. 



