128 CHERRY. LEAVES— CHERRY PLANT-LOTJSE. ANTS WITH IT. 



sharp-sighted and voracious were their enemies that at the end of 

 a few days the whole were exterminated. 



The aphides being thus swept away from 'the cherry the latter 

 part of June, almost every year, the trees enjoy a temporary, re- 

 spite. But the insect soon shows itself again. Most of the foliage, 

 however, has by this time become so mature and hardy that their 

 •weak beaks appear unable to pierce it. They therefore occupy 

 only the few young and tender leaves at the ends of the twigs 

 and upon the young shoots which start up from the roots. This 

 being the only foliage from which they are able to draw their 

 nourishment they do not again multiply and flourish as at the 

 beginning of the season. But they continue to dwell upon these 

 tender leaves through the summer. On the approach of cold 

 weather males are produced, a stock of eggs is placed about the 

 bases of the buds and in the fissures of the bark for the continu- 

 ance of their race another year, and their career for the season 

 terminates. The leaves fall from the cherry ea.rlier in autumn 

 than from the apple and peach, and whilst the lice which infest 

 those trees are still abroad in full force those of the cherry have 

 all disappeared. 



A small black ant is a constant attendant upon the plant-lice 

 of the cherry tree. It remains with them more constantly and in 

 much greater numbers than the New- York ant which we have 

 described upon a preceding page as accompanying the aphides 

 upon the apple and other trees. Upon one small leaf half a 

 dozen or more of these ants are often present, a part of them 

 industriously occupied in vibrating their antennse over the backs 

 of the aphides so as to rub them gently. They are constantly 

 engaged in this employment and appear to be much more atten- 

 tive and faithful nurses than the largei- New-York ants. They 

 pertain to the genus Myrmica of Latreille, differing from the true 

 ants in being furni^hed with stings. These insects however are 

 so small and this implement is so weak that it is wholly incapa- 

 ble of penetrating the human skin. It may be seen in preserved 

 as well as living specimens, resembling a short fine hair protrud- 

 ing from the tip of the abdomen. In addition to this, in place of 

 the single wedge-like scale on the peduncle at the base of the 



