Honey and Honep-Dew. 125 



are so fond of; and if there are no ants 

 to eat it, the aphides are obliged to get rid 

 of it, and they squirt it out in the air. 



I have stood under a tulip -tree and 

 watched a perfect shower of this honey- 

 dew come raining down from the countless 

 aphides on the leaves. The aphides stay 

 on the under-side of the leaves and the 

 honey-dew falls on the upper side of the 

 leaves below them. Sometimes the leaves 

 of a tree or a bush will shine as if they 

 had been varnished, because of the honey- 

 dew that covers them. Such leaves are 

 sticky to the touch, too, and, in fact, be- 

 come very disagreeable, as dust settles on 

 the sticky surface. 



I once saw all the plants in the Carolina 

 Mountains covered with this honey-dew. 

 The season had been dry, which is what 

 the aphides like, and they were over every- 

 thing. 



The little mountain children used to pick 

 these sweet leaves and lick off the honey- 



