186 GENEKATION OF APHIDES. 



becomes white, and resembles a brilliant bead or pearl." 

 Every Aphis-covered rose-leaf will furnish instances of what 

 is here described. 



There is yet another peculiarity which distinguishes the 

 Aphis from perhaps every other creature in the animal world, 

 a physical enigma about which the divers into nature's 

 secrets long puzzled their heads in vain, until at last a clever, 

 patient Frenchman* hit upon what is considered its solution. 



Now, when you see in spring or early summer, a group of 

 Aphides, a group of leaves covered with them, or even a 

 group of trees which they have made their own, it is certain 

 (at least we can answer for the fact on good authority), that in 

 all the multitude on which you cast your eye, you will be 

 looking on none but Aphides (whether winged or wingless) 

 of the feminine gender. " Where then are the lords of these 

 numerous ladies ?" is a question you very naturally ask. Why, 

 they are not in existence and never have been. The ladies 

 may have had fathers, they have children (to be seen like 

 chickens busy with their bills around them) but with perfect 

 truth, and without a shadow of imputation on their spotless 

 characters, they neither have, nor ever have had husbands. 



Now suppose all the elderly matrons presiding over this 

 assembly to have gone the way of all flesh of Aphides, and 

 that you are looking on a similar company composed of their 

 immediate descendants. Still presenting the same remarkable 



* M. Trembley. 



