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species of Cactus, particularly the Cactus Opuntia or Prickly Pear-tree. In Jamaica these insects are also now tolerably common, but they are generally understood to have been introduced from America. The heavy rains, however, to which the West India islands are subject, often render the industry of the natives in breeding and rearing them entirely fruitless.

When the insects are arrived at their full growth, they adhere to the leaf of the Cactus in a torpid state: and it is at this period they are taken from the plant for use. Twice or thrice a week, the slaves appropriated to this employment go among the Cactus plants, and pick off carefully, with a bamboo twig, shaped somewhat into the form of a pen, every full-grown insect they can find, with many that have not yet attained their perfect state; the consequence of which is, that the plants are never half stocked with insects, many of the females being destroyed before they have deposited their young. The natives of Mexico pursue a method very different. As soon as the periodical rains are over, and the weather is warmer as well as drier, they fix on the prickles of the Cactus-leaves small parcels of the finest moss, serving as nests, to contain, each, ten or a dozen full-grown female insects. These, in the course of a few days, produce an innumerable tribe of young-ones, which spread themselves over the leaves and branches of the plant, till they become attached to those spots which they find most favourable for supplying nutritious juices. Here, soon acquiring their full growth, they remain motionless, and then are gathered off for use; a sufficient number being always left for the production of new broods.

The insects are converted into Cochineal, by a very simple but cruel process. The insects, which were collected in a wooden bowl, are thickly spread from thence upon a flat dish of earthenware, and placed alive over a charcoal fire, where they are slowly roasted until the downy covering disappears, and the aqueous juices are totally evaporated. During this operation, they are

continually stirred about with a tin ladle; and sometimes water is sprinkled upon them, in order to prevent absolute torrefaction, which would destroy the colour, and reduce the insect to a coal; but a little practice teaches when to remove them from the fire. They then appear like so many dark, round, reddish grains, and take the name of Cochineal; preserving so little the original form of the insect, that this precious dye was long known and sought in Europe, before naturalists had determined whether it was an animal, a vegetable, or a mineral substance.

It seems by no means improbable, that a Cochineal, more pure than that which is produced from the insect, might be prepared from some of the plants on which it feeds. There is also no reason for supposing, that we might not likewise obtain Cochineal from some of the English species, if a proper and judicious management were adopted.

It has been computed, that there are imported into Europe no less a quantity than eight hundred and eighty thousand pounds weight of Cochineal, annually.

THE EUROPEAN COCHINEAL*.

This species of Cochineal is among the various and valuable productions, with which the beneficent hand of Nature has enriched the dominions of Spain. Like other insects of the same tribe, it is found sticking to the branches and leaves of trees, particularly to those of a small species of oak about two feet high, the Quercus coccifera of Linnæus, that grows in Spain, Provence, Languedoc, and along the shores of the Mediterranean.

In the month of March, it is to be seen in its first state, no bigger than a grain of millet, fixed to the tree

* DESCRIPTION. The female is about the size of a pea, and of a violet colour.

SYNONYMS.

Coccus Illicis. Linnæus. Grana Kermes. Scarlet Grain. Dillon.-Grane d'écarlate, in France.

and scarcely able to crawl. It soon becomes immovable: at this period it increases very much in size. It now bears considerable resemblance to a vegetable excrescence, being covered with a down that adheres on all sides to the tree. Its figure is not unlike that of a small sloe. Its growth is completed in April, when it attains a round shape, and is about the size of a pea, of a reddish colour, and appearing as if filled with discoloured blood. Towards the end of May, it is seen to be full of eggs, ranged under the belly in the down that covers its body. After laying its eggs here, it soon dies, adhering still to its position, and rendering to its progeny a further service, by shielding them from the inclemency of the weather, and the hostile attacks of other insects. Each of the females will sometimes produce so many as two thousand young-ones.

The poor people of many of the provinces obtain a subsistence, by collecting these insects for sale; and, in order to pick them off the branches with greater facility, many of them suffer the nails of their fingers to grow to a great length. In some years, a sum amounting to little less than thirty thousand dollars, (five thousand pounds sterling,) has been produced to the inhabitants of one district in Spain, from the sale of this insect. But being used only as an ingredient in dyeing purple, it has been much neglected since the introduction of the American Cochineal.

THE COCCUS OR COCHINEAL OF THE PEACH-TREE *.

When the Coccus which infests the peach-tree, has attained its full growth, its whole body is filled with eggs, and on dissection it will be found, that scarcely any viscera are perceptible. The number of eggs

Its

DESCRIPTION. The female is of a brownish colour. upper surface or back is hard, like a kind of shell; and its under surface is a soft skin, on which are observable the traces of legs. A cotton-like substance appears at first all round the

sometimes amounts to three or four thousand. These are still retained under the shell of the insect, which now, beneath, assumes a concave form. The animal, after having performed, with the operation of continuing its species, all the functions that nature intended, ceases to exist. After death it remains fixed in the same place, and serves as a covering to protect the eggs, and afterwards the young brood, until their members have attained the necessary degree of strength to enable them to perform their allotted functions.

The whole brood are not hatched at one instant; but the eggs that were first laid, become first vivified. The young-ones no sooner feel their animal powers, than they begin to look about for food. At this period of their existence they are active little creatures, of an oblong shape and whitish colour; and run about every where with great celerity. They continue active. only for a few days, after which they fix themselves to some tender part of the tree; in general, to the leaves or young shoots of the same year; for they are usually brought to life about the month of May. After they have thus attached themselves, they remain, without motion, under the appearance of a thin whitish scale.

The creature, however, possesses a loco-motive faculty for many months, probably all the while that it continues in its larva state. A person desirous of setting it in motion, has only to pluck off some of the leaves, on which these insects have fixed themselves,

edge, as a kind of cement, to join it there to the tree. The male is a fly, about one fourth the size of the female. It has two long antennæ, six legs, and wings which are at least twice the length of the body. The abdomen terminates in a pointed kind of tail, on each side of which there is a slender white filament, twice as long as the wings. It is of a deep red colour, except the wings, which are of a dirty white, bordered with a stripe of bright red.

SYNONYM. Coccus Persicæ. Linn.

and to lay them in any place to wither. So long as they remain fresh and succulent, the insects continue without motion; but when the leaves begin to shrivel, the larvæ will quit their hold, abandon the leaves, and go in search of food elsewhere. In the autumn, therefore, the insects that are attached to the leaves, change their situation for the tender and succulent parts of the bark, especially the young shoots, and still more particularly the tenderest tops of these shoots. Here they may often be found in such numbers as almost to cover the whole.

In this state they remain during the winter, still making some advances in growth. But it is not until the month of April, after they have cast their last skin, that the insects assume their perfect state. From this period the females entirely lose their loco-motive powers; and, even if the branch to which they adhere, be cut off, they will not attempt to quit it, but must inevitably perish.

The male, when it quits the larva state, is, like the others of its tribe, furnished with wings. After a short but active life, it dies without even tasting food, being apparently furnished with no organs adapted to this purpose. These flies generally appear towards the end of April or the beginning of May.

The eradication of this species from our fruit-gardens is an object of no inconsiderable importance; and, from a careful attention to their transformations and habits, it appears not to be a difficult task. If the twigs, early in the spring, were carefully brushed, in the direction of the buds, many of the insects might be detached, and thus their numbers would be greatly reduced. Where the insects are very numerous, and where, of course, they are very close together, at the points of the twigs, these points might be cut off, and carried out of the garden. If exceedingly numerous, all the young twigs might be cut out. In this case, it is true, the fruit will, in a great measure, be lost for that season; but the tree will be thrown into such

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