84 
♦ 
but were less than a foot across in September. The leaves were 
then small and curled, of an unhealthy look, the roots knotty and 
diseased, and only here and there a melon could be found, hven 
small garden patches of cucumbers, melons and squashes about 
Normaf were vigorously attacked, and many of the vines were either 
killed or prevented from fruiting. Muskmelons were almost always 
most generally and seriously affected, cucumbers and watermelons 
next, and squashes least of all. 
The mischief done by this insect elsewhere is indicated by the 
following extracts from my correspondence: Mr. 0. B. Galuslia 
writes me from Morris, Grundy county, under date of July dl: 
“My ten acres of melon vines are being swept with the ‘besom of 
destruction’ by the Aphides I send you. I have never known this 
insect on melon leaves before. It takes watermelons, muskmelons 
and squashes, though I think it prefers the melons to the squashes, 
and muskmelons to watermelons. They swarm in myriads, how¬ 
ever, upon both species. What species of lice aie these? If they 
would operate on the upper instead of the underside of the leaves 
they might be routed by dusting with lime (or ashes perhaps), but 
as they are out of harm’s way in this respect I have not attempted 
to molest them. Other melon fields near by are similarly affected. 
On the 18th of September, in response to an inquiry as to the fur¬ 
ther history of the pest in his locality, Mr. Galusha writes : “1 have 
received yours of the 15th, and am glad to say that the melon-lice 
disappeared suddenly—I think about August 1, and melons recuper¬ 
ated considerably afterward, especially the muskmelons. I had begun 
to plow up my two-acre patch of muskmelons—as there was very 
little fruit set, and the vines were almost destroyed; but could not 
plow on account of the soil being so hard and dry. In a few days 
the lice left, and I now have a good (or fair) show of melons on 
the patch, just beginning to ripen. " The ground was in melons last 
year; i. e., a portion of it, say one-third. 
It was also reported on the 23d of September, by Prof. Edward 
G. Howe, of Chicago, as doing much damage to nutmeg melon 
vines and inclining to spread. 
Previous mention of injury by plant lice to plants of this order 
has been made by Mr. Gentry, of Pennsylvania, who found an 
Aphis infesting the blossoms of a wild cucumber; by Buckton, of 
England, by whom a species of Aphis is said to infest the under 
sides of the leaves of melon plants in Great Britain; and byj 
Miss Middleton, of this State, who describes a species m the Eight! 
Report with the remark that it was found upon the leaves ot 
squashes. The specimens found at Normal were certainly different 
from the species described by Miss Middleton, belonging, in fact, to 
another genus, and are apparently quite distinct from the Aphis 
cucurbitce of Buckton, as described and figured by that author m ms 
“Monograph of British Aphides,” volume 2, pages 56-57. A bnet 
description of what is probably this species is given by Dr. Thomas 
in the newspaper article already cited, but without name, as he was 
inclined to believe that our insect was the Aphis cucurbitce of Buck 
ton. Considering this species as new, I therefore propose for it tea 
name of Aphis cucumeris. 
