in the honey while the aphides are in the aft o f difeharging it?
the bees only colleft it from the leaves on which it has fallen.
In the -autumn three moregenerations o f aphides are produced,
two o f which generally make their appearance in the month of
Auguft, and the third before the middle of September. The two
firft differ in no refpeft from thofe which are found in fummer -
but the third differs greatly from all the reft. Though all the
aphides which have hitherto appeared were females, in this tenth
generation feveral male infefts are found, but not by anv
means To numerous as the females.
The females have at firft the fame appearance with thofe of
the former generations, but in a few days their colour changes
from a green to a yellow, which is gradually converted into an
orange before they come to their full growth; they differ.alfo
in another refpeft from thofe which occur in fummer, for all
thefe yellow females are without wings. The male infefts are
however, Hill more remarkable, their outward appearance readily
diftinguilhing them from this and all other generations. When
firft produced, they are not of a green colour like the reft, but o f
a reddilh brown, and have afterwards a dark line along the back •
they come to their full growth in about three weeks, and then call
•off their laft covering, the whole infeft being after this o f a bright
yellow colour, the wings only excepted; but after this change to
a deeper yellow, and in a very few hours to a dark brown, i f we
except the body, which is fomething lighter coloured, and has a
reddifh call. The males no fooner come to maturity than they
copulate with the females, who in a day or two after their inter-
courfe with .the males lay their eggs, generally near the buds.
Where
Where there are a number crowded together, they of courfe interfere
with'each other, in which cafe they will frequently depofit
their eggs on other parts o f the branches.
It is highly probable that the aphides derive confiderable advantages
by living in fociety ; the reiterated punftures of a great
number of them may attraft a larger quantity ofnutritious
juices to that part o f the tree, or plant, where' they have taken
up their abode.
In the natural hiftory of infefts, new ohjefts o f furprize are
continually rifing before, the obferver: lingular as we have
already Ihewn is the produftion of the puceron, that o f the bee
will not be found to be lefs fo ; and though this little republic has
at all times gained univerfal efteem and admiration, though they
have attrafted the attention o f the moft ingenious and laborious
inquirers into nature, yet the mode of propagating their fpecies
feems to have baffled the ingenuity of ages,, and rendered their
attempts to difcover it abortive ; even the labours and fcrupulous
attention of Swammerdam were unluccefsful'; though, while he
was writing his treatife cut bees, his daily labour began at fix in
the morning, and from that hour till twelve he continued watching
their operations, his head in. a manner diflolving into fweat,
under the irrefiftible ardour of the fun ; and if he defifted at noon,
it was only becaufe his eyes then became too weak, as well from
the extraordinary afflux of light and the ufe o f glafles, to continue
longer exereifed by fuch minute ohjefts. He Ipent one
month entirely in examining, defcribing, and reprelenting their
inteftines; and many months on other parts: employing whole
days in making obfervations, and whole nights in regiftering
I i them.