No. XV.B.] APPENDIX. 245 



severity of the weather during the past winter. The ladybirds are 

 exceedingly numerous, an occurrence which should be hailed with delight, 

 as they destroy the aphides by thousands. The early potatoes are 

 generally looking perfectly healthy, although I have seen a few which are 

 badly diseased. The next month will probably indicate pretty well the 

 extent of damage which we are likely to experience from aphides this 

 season ; and here I may observe, that if the weather be uninterruptedly 

 hot, in all probability the creatures will multiply to a great extent, and do 

 great damage. Under any circumstance, I urge every gardener and 

 farmer closely to watch his plants, that as soon as aphides extensively 

 occur, we may commence our war of extermination. It is very curious to 

 watch a field of potatoes ; to see the destructive cloud of insects hovering 

 over, settling, and then distributing themselves over whole fields; to 

 observe how they first attack the larger leaves ; to notice the death of the 

 leaves, and finally of the entire haulm ; and then to perceive the troop 

 acquire wings and fly away. After all these have occurred, the farmer 

 may then study the fungi which come to eat up the damaged plant; and, 

 lastly, he will have unfortunately to separate the sound from the unsound, 

 the healthy from the diseased. I return my best thanks for the kind 

 information transmitted to me, and beg to offer my sincere apologies for 

 not having directly answered my correspondents. 



REPORT ON APHIDES FOR MAY 1847. 



In my previous reports, I have had to record but few facts of the pro- 

 gress of these creatures, in consequence of the lateness of the spring. May, 

 however, has been remarkable for the great heat which has existed, and 

 with this heat a numerous host of these destructive creatures has appeared. 

 On the lime-tree, the beautiful spotted aphis, peculiar to that tree, may 

 now be found in the larva and winged state. On the sycamore, two 

 species now exist one which feeds upon the larger leaves, the other on 

 the top shoots. The oak has also its aphis, on the under-surface of the 

 leaf. The large aphis on the thistle is now feeding abundantly in some 

 places. In one instance I observed the ivy to be literally covered with 

 countless numbers of aphides ; the leaves at the same time having a great 

 abundance of honey dew on their surface. The currant-tree has a pro- 

 fusion of its aphis, causing the leaves to be corrugated and discoloured. 

 The nut-tree aphis may also be detected; and the willow, in some 

 instances, has thousands of aphides on its young shoots. The Aphis 

 lanigera may be noticed on the apple-trees ; and an aphis may also be 

 found on the larch and fir. 



All these are but of trifling importance when compared to the vastator. 

 I regret to state that this pest has reappeared ; but from whence it has 

 come, or how the species has been continued, I am unable to state : for 

 although I have abundance of eggs of other species, none have been found 

 of this insect ; and, since February, I have been unable to discover any 

 living specimen till this week. It first appeared on warm walls, on the 

 peach, nectarine, and apricot trees, to such an extent, in some places^ that 



