336 
ROSE LOUSE. 
autumn, either in its egg or perfect state. As the 
spring advances the males and females of these in- 
sects acquire wings ; and thus the business of in- 
crease is widely and rapidly extended, as the winged 
aphides, by hop-planters called the fly, may be seen 
at this period sitting on plants, and floating in the 
air in all directions. 
Mr. Curtis mentions the observation of Mr. 
White of Selborne respecting a shower of aphides, 
as tending to support his opinion of their dispo- 
sition to emigrate. The account which Mr, White 
has given of this curious circumstance is as follows : 
u As we have remarked above, that insects are 
often conveyed from one country to another in a 
very unaccountable manner, I shall here mention 
an emigration of small aphides, which was observed 
in the village of Selborne, no longer ago than 
August the first, 1785. At about three o’clock in 
the afternoon of that day, which was very hot, the 
people of this village were surprised by a shower of 
aphides or smother-flies, which fell in these parts. 
Those that were walking in the streets at that 
juncture found themselves covered with these in- 
sects, which settled also on the hedges and gardens, 
blackening all the vegetables where they alighted. 
My annuals were discoloured with them, and the 
stalks of a bed of onions were quite coated over for 
six days after. These armies were then no doubt in 
a state of emigration, and shifting their quarters; 
and misrht have come, as far as we know, from the 
hop-plantations of Kent or Sussex, the wind being 
