$9icttanarg at glmmatrfr 



29 



ting in a fine bristle ; this, being insinuated 

 through the bark and the sappy part of the 

 wood, enables the creature to extract, as 

 with a syringe, the sweet, vital liquor that 

 circulates in the plant. The alburnum, or 

 sap-wood, being thus wounded, rises up in 

 excrescences and nodes all over the branch, 

 ,nd deforms it ; the limb, deprived of its 

 nutriment, grows sickly ; the leaves turn 

 ellow, and the part perishes. Branch after 

 iranch is thus assailed, until they all be- 

 come leafless, and the tree dies." * * * * 

 Many remedies have been proposed for 

 removing this evil, efficacious perhaps in 

 some cases upon a small scale ; but when 

 the injury has existed for some time, and 

 extended its influence over the parts of a 

 large tree, I apprehend it will take its course, 

 and the tree die." 



Upon this part of the subject, Dr. Harris 

 remarks that the application of the spirits of 

 tar, of spirits of turpentine, of oil, urine, and 

 of soft soap, has been recommended ; but he 

 is inclined to think that the following mode 

 of treatment will be found the most effectual 

 of any : " Scrape off all the rough bark of 

 the infected trees, and make them perfectly 

 clean and smooth early in the spring ; then 

 rub the trunk and limbs with a stiff brush 

 wet with a solution of potash ; after which 

 remove the sods and earth around the bottom 

 of the trunk, and with the scraper, brush, 

 and alkaline liquor cleanse that part as far 

 as the roots can conveniently be uncovered. 

 The earth and sods should immediately be 

 carried away, fresh loam should be placed 

 around the roots, and all cracks and wounds 

 should be filled with grafting cement or clay 

 mortar. Small limbs and extremities of 

 branches, if infected, and beyond reach of 

 the applications, should be cut off and 

 burned." He further observes, in reference 

 to remedial measures necessary to counter- 

 act the injury done to plants generally by the 

 different species of Aphides, that " solutions 

 of soap, or a mixture of soap-suds and to- 

 bacco water, used warm and applied with a 

 watering-pot or with a garden-engine, may 

 be employed for the destruction of these in- 

 sects. It is said that hot water may also be 

 employed for the same purpose with safety 

 and success. The water, tobacco-tea, or 

 suds should be thrown upon the plants with 

 considerable force, and if they are of the 

 cabbage or lettuce kind, or other plants whose 

 leaves are to be used as food, they should 

 subsequently be drenched thoroughly with 

 pure water. Lice on the extremities of 

 branches may be killed by bending over the 

 branches and holding them for several mi- 

 nutes in warm and strong soap-suds. Lice 

 multiply much faster, and are more injurious 

 to plants, in a dry than in a wet atmosphere ; 

 hence in green-houses, attention should be 

 paid to keep the air sufficiently moist ; and 

 the lice are readily killed by fumigations 

 with tobacco or with sulphur. To destroy 

 subterranean lice on the roots of plants I 

 have found that watering with salt-water 

 was useful, if the plants were hardy j but 

 tender herbaceous plants cannot be treated 

 in this way, but may sometimes be revived 

 by frequent watering with soap-suds." 



The species of this family are greatly 

 subject to the attacks of other insects ; the 

 larvae of the Hemerobiidce, the CoccinelUe, 

 and the larvae of various species of Syrphidce 

 feed upon them, and destroy vast numbers ; 

 they are also infested by minute parasitic 

 Hymenoptera belonging to the families Cy- 

 nipitlce, Ickneumonidce, &c. In the papers of 

 Mr. F. Walker, F.L.S., and in his Catalogue 

 of the species in the British Museum, much 

 'nformation on the British Aphides is eiven. 



APHIDIPHAGI. The name of a family 

 of Coleopterous insects, which are for the 

 most part of a hemispherical form, and com- 

 pose the genus COCCINELLA cor Lady-birds). 



APHODIAD^E. A family of minute La- 

 mellicorn beetles, extremely abundant in 

 this and other temperate countries, especially 

 during the spring months, swarming in the 

 dung of the larger herbivorous animals, or 

 hovering over it as soon as it is dropped. The 

 body is of an oblong or oval shape, rounded 

 at the extremity, with the abdomen entirely 

 concealed by the elytra i they are nearly 

 allied to the Scarabaeidae, both in their an- 

 tennae, organs of the mouth, and legs, but the 

 body is more elongated. 



APHRODIT A, or SEA-MOUSE. A small 



..~j~i^*,+*. . marine annelide, 



jiJJBRniilJlB^^ known on our 



Bk coasts as the Sea- 



JPB ^Bfe mouse. Its figure 



X is oval and acu- 



iB Pleated; and it 



3HPP t is covered with 



tfawss*5 



a very bright metallic lustre, the colours of 

 which vary with the play of the light. On 

 the back are two rows of large membranous 

 scales, which somewhat resemble the elytra 

 of insects. In many species the lateral setae 

 or bristles exhibit a beautiful structure, being 

 barbed on each side of the tips, and each 

 of these barbed setae being inclosed in a 

 smooth horny sheath. It not unfrequently 

 happens that a large number of Aphroditae 

 are thrown up on the British shores after a 

 gale of wind. 



ArHROPHORA. A genus of Homopte- 

 rous insects which in the larva state live on 

 plants enveloped in a saliva-like mass ; 

 whence their popular name of Cuckoo-spits : 

 the insects in their perfect state are named 

 from their leaping powers, Frog-hoppers. 

 [See CICADA.] 



APID^. An extensive family of Bees, 

 which may be classed under three heads ; 

 namely, 1. Social bees ; 2. Solitary working 

 bees ; 3. Cuckoo-like parasitic bees. The 

 insects composing this family are distin- 

 guished by having the mentum long, with 

 the labium at its extremity, forming an 

 elongated slender seta, with two small lateral 

 filaments, and forming with the maxillae an 

 elongated proboscis, capable of being por- 

 rected in front of the head when in action, 

 or folded up beneath it and the breast when 

 at rest. The antennae are often elbowed, 

 the basal joint being long. Following the 



p 3 



