134 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



to be seen;" but acounts for the presence 

 of this secretion in the apparent absence 

 of the secreters, by the supposition that 

 they were located on or near the top of 

 the tree — so high they could not be seen 

 from the back of his horse, however. 

 There must have been mvriads of those 



The Professor's second reason is found- 

 ed on "The economy of Nature." " En- 

 erg}', " he sa3S, "is never expended by 

 plant or animal that does not in some way 

 benefit b}- such outgo." Few people will 

 question the truth of this statement, but 

 many will doubt the Prosessor's applica- 



A PKOMEN.\DE BV THK ORCHARD SIDE AT MR. R. M'KNIC.HT'S. 



tiny creatures on the to]) of that tree, if 

 they so abundantly bespattered the 

 leaves of its lower branches with their 

 sweet secretions. C)iie would reasonably 

 sujjpose that the foliage of the intervening 

 branches would protect the leaves under 

 observation, from such secretions reach- 

 ing, or resting upon them. There are 

 few observant bee-keepers who have not 

 seen just what Prof. Cook witne.ssed; 

 namely, plentj' of honey dew where no 

 aphides were to be seen; and where they 

 could not well be pre.sent without being 

 seen. They have, doubtless, also seen 

 honey dew so abundant, betimes, that it 

 would take a long stretch of the imagin- 

 ation to Ijelieve that it had its source 

 where Prof. Cook sa3-s it comes from. 



tion of it in this instance; namely, that 

 plant lice secrete honey dew in order that 

 bees, ants and wasps may be attracted to 

 their immediate presence, which, in their 

 turn, repel the birds which else would 

 feed on and destroy the insects. Is it a 

 fact that the presence of bees, ants and 

 wasps repel the insectivorous birds that 

 feed upon these so called .secretions ? 

 Professor Cook's theory of the origin of 

 honey dew is not a tenable one, while that 

 of Mr. Cowan is most reasonable. It re- 

 quires but a slight knowledge of the life 

 and growth of the vegetable world to be 

 convinced that honey dew is a sweet ex- 

 udation of the leaves and young shoots of 

 trees and ])lants. A brief consideration 

 of vegetable growth will the better enable 



