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June 26 - 27 /1858/

I have been watching black Aphis on Dock tended by reddish Myrmica. — I removed all the ants & stopped their return by tree for few hours; then I watched them for long time & tickled the, with human hairs fixed to handle, but then not once excreted. Then I put some Myrmica on from adjoining twig: they immediately fingered them & caressedstroked their abdomen with their antennæ walking over their backs, & dozens insectssoon even quite young — secreted their globules of honey which was greedily devoured. The Aphides clearly lifted their abdomen towards ants mouth. Is it a convenience to be relieved of these viscid secretions. The whole seemed intentional, for with rare exception they secreted just in front of ant mouth; i e the actual one which was being carefree secreted, but sometimes an

This note was incorporated in the fragment of the draft of the Origin of species now kept by the Natural History Museum (London), in Darwin Online here, and appeared in Origin, pp. 210-11.

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adjoining one secreted; but then they had not been for some time hours attended by their guardians.— (Begin by saying it is a most curious spectacle to watch)