174 APHIS. 



observer to satisfy himself on this head. On look- 

 ing stedfastly for a few minutes on a groupe of 

 these insects while feeding on the bark of the 

 willow, one perceives a few of them elevate their 

 bodies, and a transparent substance evidently drop 

 from them, which is immediately followed by a 

 similar motion, and discharge like a small shower 

 from a great number of others. At first I was 

 not aware that the substance thus dropping from 

 these animals at such stated intervals was their 

 excrement, but was convinced of its being so 

 afterwards; for on a more accurate examination I 

 found it proceed from the extremity of the abdo- 

 men, as is usual in other insects. On placing a 

 piece of writing-paper under a mass of these in- 

 sects, it soon became thickly spotted: holding it a 

 longer time, the spots united from the addition of 

 others, 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, devoured it as quick- 

 ly as it was produced; but were it not for these, 

 it might no doubt be collected 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 are so partial to this food, yet 

 the bees* appear totally to disregard it." 



* Yet Mr. White in his History of Selborne observes that it 

 is very grateful to bees, who gather it with great assiduity." 



