116 FOOD OP BEES. 



frequently found in situations where it could not have arrived 

 by the mere influence of gravitation. The drops that are thus 

 spurted out, unless interrupted by the surrounding foliage, or 

 some other interposing body, fall upon the ground; and the 

 spots may often be observed, for some time, beneath and around 

 the trees, affected vrith honey-dew, till washed away by the rain. 

 The power which these insects possess of ejecting the fluid from 

 their bodies, seems to have been wisely instituted to preserve 

 cleanliness in each individual fly, and, indeed, for the preserva- 

 tion of the whole family; for, pressing as they do upon one an- 

 other, they would otherwise soon be glued together, and rendered 

 incapable of stirring. On looking steadfastly at a group of these 

 insects {Aphides salicis) while feeding on the bark of the willow, 

 their superior size enabled us to perceive some of them elevating 

 their bodies and emitting a transparent substance in the form of 

 a small shower : 



" Nor scorn ye now, fond elves, the foliage sear, 

 When the light aphids, arm'd with puny spear, 

 Probe each emulgent vein, till bright below. 

 Like falling stars, clear drops of nectar glow." 



Evans. 

 258. " Honey-dew usually appears upon the leaves as a vis- 

 cid transparent substance, as sweet as honey itself, sometimes in 

 the form of globules, at others resembling a syrup. It is gen- 

 erally most abundant from the middle of June to the middle of 

 July — sometimes as late as September. 



" It is found chiefly upon the oak, the elm, the maple, the plane, 

 the sycamore, the lime, the hazel, and the blackberry ; occasion- 

 ally also the cherry, currant, and other fruit trees. Sometimes 

 only one species of trees is affected at a. time. The oak gener- 

 ally affords the largest quantity. At the season of its greatest 

 abundance, the happy, humming noise of the bees may be heard 

 at a considerable distance, sometimes nearly equalling in loud- 

 ness the united hum of swarming." — (Bevan.) 



In some seasons, bees gather large supplies from these 

 honey-dews, but it is abundant only once in three or four 

 years. The honey obtained from this source is usually of a 

 dark color, and seldom of a very good quality. 



269. It is very difficult to ascertain, at all times, the 

 special source of honey-dew, whether from the trees or from 



