154 
The Natural Hifiury of JAMAICA. 
In this Town (Tlaxcala) is all the Cochénsla growing. Hawks ap. Hakt, 
. p 464: 
/ dob binill sone of the Commodities for Spai# from the Welt-Indies. 
Philips ap. Hakls p. 3. p. 486. 
Cochinilla was fold for fifty Pe/o’s the Quintal, and now it 1s fold at Mex- 
ico for fifty five Pe/o’s, and fince there is Ad vice from Spaéa that it fold for 
feventy two Ducats the Quintal, there are laden in this Fleet 14000 
Arrovas of Cochinilla, and 7ooo Arrovas more were laden in the Fri- 
gats which departed before the Fleet- Bartholomew Cano, Hakl. P: 3+ ps 
561. ina Letter dated 3oth May 1590 from Mexico. 
Cochanele (Smith's Virginia, p. 149) is one of the wealthy Weft-India 
Commodities. | 
It isa Grain, but Plamier fays "tis an Infect which lives on feve- 
tal Trees ¢fpecially the Opuntia, they are coveted by Ants, but pre- 
ferved by S rer put round the Root of the Plant; they are {wept off 
by Petits Ballets into V effels where are Afhes and Water and when 
drown’d are taken out and dry’d, they multiply vaftly, fo thata hun- 
dred produces Millions. This Infe€t comes on Acacias and Cherry- 
Trees it catries its Eggs on its Legs and Breaft, and gets the Colour 
from the Opeatia, being paler or yellower on the Acacias: Two Slaves 
and Elibuftiers told the fame, Pommette. It hath no Wings nor Feet, 
therefore itis a Seed, Pommert. It is little ufed in Phyfick, unlefs in 
taking it for Kermes. td. 
In the Hiftory of the Infeéts of Famaica hereafter will be given a far- 
ther Account of this Infect Cochenille. \ 
XI. Opuntia major {pinofa caulefcens, folijs atrovirentibus longis & angustis 
pendulis, flore rubro, Cat. fam. p. 195. Razj. Hift. Vol. 3. Dendr.p. 19. Tabi 
224. Figs? An Opuntia major angufti felia Munt. Aard: p.32? An O- 
puntia Indica folio [pinofo longiffimo & angusto, Am. Hort. Bo/. p. 25? Fi- 
cus Indica feu Opuntia maxima folio [pinofo longiffimo G angufto ad imam 
rotundiore. Pluken. Almag. p.147? An Ficus Iudica folio oblongo angufti/- 
fimo & [pinofiffimo. Herm, fl. L. B. fl. p. 137? ibs 
- This Tree grows to about aine Foot high, it has a very ftreight tapering 
Trunc or Stalk, about the Bignefsof one’s Leg, fet very thick in Rows 
from Bottom to Top, with Tufts of Prickles Star-fafhion, whiter and 
not fo long as thofe of the Prickly-Pears. When it has rifen toabout eight 
Foot high, come out the Leaves and none under, they hang downwards 
one out of another towards. the Ground, and are like the Leaves of 
ordinary PricklysPears, only of a deeper green Colour, longer and nar- 
rower, being about a Foot and a half long, two Inches broad, and: 
a quarter of an Inch thick, The Flowers are made after the fame 
Manner, only fmaller every Way and of a red Colour, to which 
follow the Fruit like others of the Opuntia. — 
I donot queftion but the Stem of this rifes at firft from Leaves one 
out of anocher, in Time turning round, as others of this Kind. 
This grew in the Caymanes below Mr. Worley’s Plantation on the other 
Side of the Rio Cobre, and elfewhere in the Sandy Places, near the 
Shores of the Ifland. | [ 
. From the red Colour of the Flower of this Species, People are apt to 
judge this to be the Sort on which the Cochinile breeds, but I think 
. 
without Ground. 
IL 
