832 [Assemely 
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. Bift 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 earlier 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 antennae over the backs 
ot 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 larger New-York ants. They 
pertain to the genus Myrmica of Latreille, differing from the true 
ants in being furnished 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 
