THE BLACK PEACH APHIS. 11 



A few years ago but little was known with certainty 

 as to the life history of these pests. It has now been 

 well ascertained that the insects are also on the roots of 

 the tree not far beneath the soil, and are generally to be 

 found clustering around the base of large roots near the 

 stem of the tree, and from which, although many of the 

 insects are in a partially dormant state, the nourishment 

 necessary for their existence is obtained. The sap, as in 

 the case of Aphis attacks in general, being sucked up 

 after the bark of the tree or its roots have been perforated 

 by the long beak-like rostrum, as shown in Fig. 7, and 

 which beak, when the insect is at rest, is " tucked up " 

 beneath the fore part of the body of the insect. 



Lintner, in one of his valuable reports on the injurious 

 insects in the State of New York, has the following remarks 

 on an Aphis attack on the roots of peach trees, and com- 

 municated by Mr. Lorin Blodget, of Philadelphia. He 

 says : " The injury to the trees was first noticed in the 

 year 1881, but its cause remained unknown until the 

 early part of July, 1884 % when upon pulling up a seedling 

 peach tree, beginning to wilt, its stem for an inch below 

 the surface was found to be crowded with dark-coloured 

 aphides, numbers of ants being associated with them. In 

 following up this discovery, of a hundred trees examined 

 one-half at least were found to be so seriously injured 

 that they were past recovery, and were accordingly 

 destroyed. It was doubtful if any of the remainder could 

 survive the attack. In one instance, some aphides were 

 discovered above ground upon the succulent shoots, about 

 a foot long, of a three-year-old tree, which were densely 

 crowded with them, presenting a singular sight with their 

 black shiny backs, covered with ants, and with large 

 flies often upon them. During forty years' growth 

 of seedling peaches no injury of this character had been 

 observed before this attack." 



When first seen on the branches they are to be found 

 in clusters just below the bud, and at this period are of 

 a dark plum colour, semi-transparent, and nearly black, 

 as shown in Fig. 3; and before assuming the winged 



