356 EFFECT OF SEASONS 



case, by producing the mowing crops that they did ; 

 but this was a single effort : the injury was mani- 

 fested by the deficiency of the autumnal vigour ; 

 this was the actual result, difficult as it is to assign 

 a satisfactory reason. Perhaps these effects upon 

 our pasture lands were unprecedented: but these 

 things pass away, unless recorded ; and though we 

 may resort to the oldest memory for evidence, yet 

 memory is oblivious, often exaggerative, and cannot 

 safely be trusted. 



June and July, 1825. The quantity of that 

 sweet clammy fluid, which we find upon certain 

 leaves, and commonly call et honey-dew," was more 

 than usually abundant during these months. In 

 the day-time, bees, wasps, and tribes of flies col- 

 ected to feed upon it, and in the evenings moths 

 and insects of the night frequented the fruit-trees 

 on our walls, particularly the cherry and the plum, 

 for the same purpose, and their presence brought 

 the bat, so that some places were animated by the 

 flitting about of these creatures. Aphides abounded 

 upon all the young sprays. 



June 17, 1828. Abundance of rain has fallen 

 during the preceding night, and in the morning 

 of this day, about two o'clock, the sun broke 

 out, the air becoming hot and heavy. I was soon 

 surprised by observing multitudes of hive bees 

 buzzing and crawling about the foliage and young 

 shoots of my laurel bushes (primus laurocerasus), 

 and feeding upon some sweet matter lodged on 



