THE BALANCE OF POWEE. 



Naturalists observe, a flea 

 Hath smaller fleas that on him prey, 

 And these have smaller still to bite 'em. 

 And so proceed ad infinitum. — Swift, 



'T requires some faith in the operations of Nature 

 to arrive at the conclusion that " all will come 

 right in the end," if she is permitted to pursue her 

 own course without hindrance, or by a little assist- 

 ance in the direction she indicates. The most con- 

 clusive facts will scarcely convince many an agricul- 

 turist that his view of the " small bird question " is 

 a false one, when it takes the direction of extirpa- 

 tion. Neither will some believe in insects of any 

 kind being less than unmitigated pests, sent 

 expressly to worry the gardener, or drive the farmer 

 out of his wits. It is of no use talking to them of 

 the balance of power, when they are thinking of 

 the balance at their banker's. That is, provided 

 they are blessed with the luxury of a banker's 

 account. We confess it is aggravating enough to 

 see acres of green turnips cleaned off by myriads of 

 "blackjacks;" bnt, instead of grumbling, would it 

 not be better to study the " black jacks " a little 

 closer, and wring from them the secret of their pre- 

 ponderance over their own enemies, the devourers 

 of little caterpillars ; or perhaps some foe, in another 

 stage of their existence, the encouragement of 

 which might restore the balance of power ? 



If we confine our observations to the insect world 

 we shall meet with plentiful illustrations of the 

 fact, in the faith of which we are strong, that there 

 is no such a thing as chance in the operations of 

 Nature, but that, in the greatest apparent disorder, 

 there is harmony at the foundation. Why stand 

 amazed at some sudden and unexpected elTcct, and 

 heed not or seek not the cause ? 



We have every respect for the men who grow our 

 " bread stuffs " for us, and would by no means say 

 anything "to hurt their feelings or wound their 

 susceptibilities ; " but whilst they sneer at the fly- 

 catching Cockneys, who now and then traverse their 

 broad acres with bag-nets dangling at the end of 

 walking-sticks, it may be true that these same 

 despised fly-catchers may know a thing or two about 

 the habits of insects which it would not be beneath 

 the dignity of a country farmer to learn. Small 

 truths sometimes produce great revolutions, and a 

 little knowledge may become a large power. A 



homely illustration of this we remember to' have 

 heard in the person of a Scot who, on one occasion, 

 mingled with a crowd that had collected around 

 "twa dogs" fighting in the street. Whilst by 

 thumping and tugging some were fruitlessly endea- 

 vouring to separate the combatants, our Scot stood 

 by and calmly sniffed his pinch of snuff. This 

 operation completed to his satisfaction, he dis- 

 charged the contents of his box about the noses of 

 the beUigereuts. The desired effect was at once 

 produced, both dogs beat a hasty retreat, and the 

 Scot, as he moved majestically on his way, reminded 

 the bystanders that " knowledge is power." 



We have already indicated (p. 185) the extra- 

 ordinax'y fecundity of those mischievous little insects 

 the Aphides, or plant-lice. " Supposing a single 

 Aphis to produce only fifty young ones — which is 

 certainly below the average — it follows that one of 

 these insects beginning to breed in spring would 

 give rise in the course of a summer to no less 

 than 4,000,000,000,000,000 of larva;, which would 

 cover a space of at least forty-eight thousand square 

 yards, or ten acres. The entire surface of the globe 

 would be covered with Aphides, were it not for the 

 number and voracity of the animals which prey 

 upon them."*- On the other hand, we have Lady- 

 birds in great numbers, and these romantic little 

 associates of our childhood and nursery rhymes, 

 both in the larva and perfect state, feed with avidity 

 upon the plant-lice, appearing to increase in equal 

 proportion. Then there are the Lace-wing flies, 

 which in their larva state feed entirely wgon Aphides, 

 destroying them in immense quantities. When 

 noticing the unusual blight of insects which infested 

 lettuces in 1844, the Rev. L. Jenyns adds, " amongst 

 the larvge at the root of one lettuce, I observed a 

 single specimen of the larva of some other totally 

 different insect which appeared to be feeding upon 

 them." The larvse of the little Sijrphi, bluish-black 

 flies, allied to the common fly, feed also upon 

 Aphides, transfixing them with a sort of trident 

 springing from the lower part of the mouth, and 



* Quatrefages' "Metamorphoses." 



