1786 The Zoologist— August, 1869. 



term "countless myriads" is far too vague to give any adequate idea 

 of number : the individuals composing the mist fell in a slanting 

 direction into the sea, and so died : the dead bodies were returned by 

 the tide, and formed a belt on the sea-shore many miles in extent: 

 the Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Dorsetshire were particularly men- 

 tioned as localities : the dead bodies might have been collected by 

 cart-loads. I wish to invite particular attention to this case ; because 

 I know of no record of the species having been known to swarm or 

 migrate either before or since ; and also because the insect is a very 

 conspicuous one, and could not have escaped notice bad such been 

 the case ; and again because the several species mentioned in the 

 subjoined extract from Kirby and Spence, come exactly under the 

 same category ; the extract is rather a long one, but it is so exactly 

 to my purpose, and is accompanied by reflections so valuable, that I 

 feel I need make no apology for quoting it entire. The authors 

 describe the swarms of Aphides or plant-lice, which often annoy us by 

 their multitudes, covering our clothes and getting into our eyes, 

 noses, mouths and ears : but when we reflect on the marvellous 

 natural history of the Aphis, which only acquires wings once in several 

 generations, we cannot consider the fact of its using those wings when 

 acquired for the purpose of transport to other localities as abnormal. 

 In fact, I regard these migrations as an ascertained feature in the 

 life-history of Aphides, and one that at present knows no exception. 

 Kirby and Spence, after giving instances of such swarms, proceed 

 thus : — 



" As the locust-eating thrush accompanies the locusts, so the lady- 

 birds seem to pursue the Aphides ; for I know no other reason to 

 assign for the vast number that are sometimes, especially in the 

 autumn, to be met with on the sea-coast or the banks of large rivers. 

 Many years ago, those of the Humber were so thickly strewed with 

 the common lady-bird, that it was difficult to avoid treading on them. 

 Some years afterward I noticed a mixture of species, collected in vast 

 numbers on the sand-hills on the sea-shore, at the north-west ex- 

 tremity of Norfolk. My friend, the Rev. Peter Lathbury, made long 

 since a similar observation at Orford, on the Suffolk coast ; and about 

 five or six years ago they covered the cliffs, as I have before remarked, 

 of all the watering ])laces on the Kentish and Sussex coasts, to the 

 no small alarm of the superstitious, who thought them forerunners of 

 some direful evil. These last probably emigrated with the Aphides 

 from the hop-grounds. Whether the latter and their devourers cross 



