J8O APHIS. 



of the more prolific animals, it has been ordained 

 by the Author of Nature that such should be di- 

 minished by serving as food for others. On this 

 principle we find that most animals in this pre- 

 dicament have one or more natural enemies. 

 The helpless Aphis, the scourge of the vegetable 

 kingdom, has to contend with many. The prin- 

 cipal are the Coccinella, the Ichneumon Aphidum, 

 and the Musca aphidhora. Such as are un- 

 acquainted with the history of insects will learn 

 with surprise that the Coccinella, a common in- 

 sect, well known even to children by the name of 

 the Lady-Bird, is one of the greatest destroyers of 

 the Aphides, which indeed are its only food, its 

 sole support, as well in its perfect as in its larva 

 or grub state. During the severity of winter this 

 insect secures itself under the bark of trees or 

 elsewhere. When the warmth of spring has ex- 

 panded the foliage of plants, the female deposits 

 its eggs on them in great numbers, from whence 

 in, a short time proceeds the larva, a small grub, 

 of a dark lead-colour spotted with orange : these 

 may be observed in the summer season running 

 pretty briskly over all kinds of plants; and if 

 narrowly watched, they will be found to devour 

 the Aphides w^herever they find them. The same 

 may be observed of the Lady-Bird in its perfect 

 state. As these insects in both their states are 

 very numerous, they contribute powerfully to di- 

 minish the number of Aphides. Another most 

 formidable enemy to the Aphis is a very minute 

 black and slender Ichneumon fly, which eats its 

 way out of the Aphis, leaving the dry inflated skin 



