Tulip Tree Lovae. 



249 



CHAPTER XVII. 



HONEY PLANTS. 



As bees are dependent mainly upon flowers for honey, it of 

 course follows that the apiarist's success will depend largely 

 upon the abundance of honey-secreting plants in the vicinity 

 of his apiary. True it is that certain bark and plant lice 

 secrete a kind of liquid sweet — honey of doubtful reputation — 

 which, in the dearth of anything better, the bees seem glad to 

 appropriate. I have thus seen the bees thick about a large 

 bark-louse which attacks the tulip tree, and thus often destroys 

 one of our best honey trees. 



I have described this insect (Fig. 121) under the name of 

 Lecanium Tulipifera. In 1870 it did no small injury to our 



Fig.' 121. 

 ^ 2 3 



Tulip- Tree Bark Louse. 



1— Scale on Twig. 

 3, 4— Young Lice. 

 5— Leg. 



2 — Under side of Scale. 

 6— Antenna. 



