28 A TOUa KOTJND MT GARDEN. 



Almost every plant is inhabited by aphides differing from 

 those of others. Those of the elder are of a velvety black ; 

 those of the apricot are of a glossy black; those of the oak 

 are of a bronze colour; those of gooseberry-trees are like 

 mother-of-pearl; upon the absynthe they are spotted white 

 and brown: on the field-sorrel, black and green; upon the 

 birch, black, and another shade of green; upon the privet, of 

 a yellowish green; and upon the pear-tree, coffee-coloured. 

 All enjoy a life sufficiently calm. You scarcely ever see 

 an insect of this kind who is vagabond 

 enough to pass from one branch to 

 another. They sometimes go so far as 

 to make the tour of the branch they 

 dwell upon; but everything leaves us 

 to believe that this is only done in 

 the effervescence of ill-regulated youth, 

 or under the empire of some passion. 

 These outbreaks are extremely rare; 

 Some of these aphides, however, have 

 wings; but these wings only come at 

 a ripe age, and they do not abuse 

 THE APHIS. them. The only serious care that seems 



to occupy the life of the aphis, is the changing of its clothes. 

 It changes its skin, in fact, four times before it becomes a 

 perfect aphis ; something like us men who try on two or three 

 characters before we fix upon one, although in general, we 

 jjreserve three during our whole lives : — one which we exhibit ; 

 one which we fancy we have; and another which we really 

 have. 



When the aphides have finished changing their skins, 

 there only remains one duty to fulfil, which is to multiply 

 their species ; but they take very little heed about that : they 

 have not, as quadrupeds have, to suckle their young — as 

 birds, to hatch their eggs — or, as other insects, to enclose them 

 in a cavern with necessary aliments. The aphis produces its 

 little ones whilst sucking its branch; and it never turns 

 round to look at the offipring it has given birth to. If the 

 mother shows but little anxiety for the little one, the little 

 one only returns the same amount of filial love that it has 

 received of maternal love. It sets out, descends below the 



