BEE PASTUKAGE. 85 



KONEY DEW. 



Honey dew is said to be a source whence large collections 

 are made in some places. When or where it appears or disap- 

 pears, is more than I can tell, from my own experience. 

 Twelve years ago, I expressed wliat was taken for doubt ot 

 the existence of any such substance. To enlighten' me on the 

 subject, and give ocular demonstration, some of my friends, 

 living where it was found, have kindly sent me specimens 

 — leaves covered with it — for my inspection. It appeared 

 and tasted as if some saccharine substance somewhat dilu- 

 ted, had been spread e\enly over the upper side of the leaf, 

 and the watery particles had evaporated. I have seen de- 

 scriptions of it as found somewhere, well towards the 

 Golden State, that exceeded any thing I ever heard of in 

 the Eastern Statest* It was described as covering leaves 

 and branches in such quantities as to bend them down 

 with the excessive weight. The quantity was so great as 

 to induce an effort to collect it by hand. The question as 

 to its origin has been pretty thoroughly discussed without 

 arriving at any particularly clear conclusion. It is generally 

 attributed to the Aphis or Plant Louse. It wiU be seen 

 that this theory of its origin will account for only a part 

 of the phenomena. Some years ago, in the month of Au- 

 gust, I noticed on passing under some willow trees, {Salix 

 Vitellind), that the grass and stones were covered with a 

 wet or shining substance. I found that nearly all the 

 smallest branches were covered with a species of large 

 aphis, apparently engaged in sucking the juices, and oc- 

 casionally discharging a minute drop of a transparent 

 liquid. I guessed this might be honey dew. I visited the 

 place again after sunrise, to see if there were any bees 

 collecting it. I found them in hundreds, together with 

 ants, hornets, and wasps. Some were on the branches with 

 the aphis, others on the leaves, and some on the grass and 

 stones. This liquid, ejected by the aphis when sucking 



