174 
he allows that it is the plant upon which the cochineal has often 
been sent to Europe, asserts that our Opúntia cochinillifera is 
not the individual of the Mexican Nopaleries, which he makes 
a new species under the name of O. Bonplandii, and he quotes 
under it with a mark of doubt the Cactus Tina of Lin. At Rio 
Janeiro, when that place was visited by the Chinese embassy 
under Lord Macartney, there were considerable plantations of 
Cactus Tina, now Opintia Tuna, for rearing the cochineal, 
which had sometime previously been introduced to Brazil. In 
St. Vincent the Rev. L. Guilding has a considerable nursery of 
the Opúntia cochinillifera inhabited by thousands of the true 
cochineal; and he is in expectation of sending to the Society of 
Arts a Jarge quantity of the dried insects. From all that has 
been said we think it may be inferred with safety that in Mexico 
and Brazil the Opiintia Tina or Bonpldndii is the favourite food 
of the cochineal; and that in the West Indian Islands, where O, 
Tuna is perhaps less frequent, the O. cochinillifera is employed 
by the natives, and answers the purpose sufficiently well. 
Like all the species of Opiintia, the plants propagate readily 
by having the joints stuck into the ground, and the plants love 
dry and barren spots. If cultivated for the purpose of rearing 
the cochineal, it must be defended, at least in the rainy Island of 
St. Vincent, from storms and winds, by sheds placed to wind- 
ward. 
The cochineal insect, which feeds upon the kinds of Opúntia 
just mentioned, is too well known to need a particular descrip- 
tion here; as are also its valuable properties in producing the 
dye which bears its name, and carmine. It is the Céccus cacti 
of Linnzus, a small insect of the order Hymenéptera, having a 
general appearance not very dissimilar to that of the mealy-bug 
of our gardens, and equally covered with a white powdery sub- 
stance. The male is winged. It is originally a native of 
Mexico, and was cultivated for its precious dye long before the 
conquest of that country; and these plantations, called Nopa- 
leros, are most extensive in the Misteca and Oaxaca; the latter 
district alone has exported, according to Humboldt, upon the 
average 32,000 arobas annually, estimated at 2,400,000 piastres, 
above 500,000/. sterling. 
In Sloane's Jamaica, vol. 1. t. 9. a representation of a Mexican 
Nopalery is given from a drawing made at Guaxaca, by an In- 
dian. In these small plantations or enclosures they cultivated 
either the fine sort (Grana fina of the Spaniards), or the com- 
mon kind (Grana sylvestre), which differ by the first having a 
finer quality and more powdery covering; whilst the latter, less 
valuable in its produce, has a cottony covering; but whether 
these two insects be specifically distinct has not yet been deter- 
mined, The placing of the females, when big with young, is 
called sowing. The proprietor of a Nopalery buys in April or 
May the branches of joints of the Tunas de Castilla (Opúntia 
Tina), which are sold in the market of Oaxaca at about 3 franks 
a hundred, loaded with young cochineals (semilla). These are 
kept in cellars for 20 days, when they are exposed to the air, 
suspended under a shed. So rapid then is the growth of the 
insect, that by August or September the females are big with 
young, and ready for sowing, which is done in small nests, made 
of the fibrous parts of the foliage of a Tillandsia called Paxtle. 
In four months from the time of sowing the harvest commences. 
The insects are brushed off with a squirrel’s or deer’s tail by 
women, who sit during this operation, for whole hours at one 
Nopal plant; so that were it not for the extreme cheapness of 
labour in that country, Humboldt says, that the rearing of the 
cochineal would prove an unprofitable employment. After 
being gathered, the insects are killed by boiling water, or by ex- 
posing them in heaps to the sun, or by means of the vapour baths 
of the Mexicans (temazecalli) ; and when dry they are fit for ex- 
portation. By the latter method, the powdery substance is pre- 
CACTEÆ. VI. Opuntia. 
served, which increases the value of the insects in commerce, 
Dr. Bancroft has estimated the annual consumption of cochineal 
in Great Britain only at about 750 bags or 150,000 lbs., worth 
275,000}. “ a vast amount,” as the authors of the introduction 
to Entomology observe, “ for so small a creature, and well cal- 
culated to show us the absurdity of despising any animals, on 
account of their minuteness.” According to the same writers, 
the only kind of cochineal that has been conveyed to the East 
Indies is the sylvestre or wild cochineal from Brazil, and the Court 
of Directors of the East India Company have offered a reward 
of 6,000/. to any person who should introduce the more valuable 
sort. The insects were introduced to the royal gardens at Kew 
in 1814 from Martinico, by M. Castleneau d’Auros, late super- 
intendant of the botanic garden on that island. In 1820, the 
fine cochineal was introduced to the Apothecaries’ botanic gar- 
den at Chelsea by W. Prinsep of Calcutta, from some of the 
Nopaleries of Mexico. 
Cochineal-bearing Indian-fig. Fl. July, Sept. 
Shrub 3 to 5 feet. 
32 O. Frcus-I’npica (Haw. syn. p. 191.) joints ovate-oblong, 
obtuse at both ends; prickles setaceous, length of the wool from 
which they rise. h. D.S. Native of South America. Cactus 
Ficus Indica, Lin. spec. 670. Willd. enum. suppl. 34. Joints 
a foot long. Prickles all setaceous, and very short. Flowers 
sulphur-coloured. Fruit large, edible, deep purple. This ìs 
the most common kind of Indian-fig in Jamaica, and upon the 
fruit of it a wild kind of cochineal feeds. The plant is to be 
found in many parts of Asia, but has perhaps been transplanted 
thither. 
Common Indian-fig. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1731. Shrub ? 
to 3 feet. oan 
33 O. pseu'po-Tu'na (Salm-Dyck, obs. bot. 1822. et in litt, 
1827.) plant erect, branched, light green ; joints obovate, com- 
pressed, large, thick; fascicles of prickles distant ; prickles yel- 
low, setaceous, collected into brush-like heaps: lower one 0 
each heap strong, and subulate. h.D.S. Native of South 
America. Allied to O. Ficus-I'ndica, but more sbining. This 
species occurs often in gardens under the name of O. Tuna. 
False-Tuna. Shrub 2 to 8 feet. Jane 
34 O. romentdsa (Salm-Dyck, obs. bot. 1822. et in litt 
1827.) plant erect, tomentose ; joints lanceolate, compresse®, 
thick ; prickles setaceous, white: lower 4 or 6 in each fascicle 
elongated, unarmed. h. D. S. Native of South America. 
Cactus tomentòsus, Link. enum. 2. p. 24. Spreng. syst. 2. P 
497. Hairs of joints short, adpressed, and rather villous. 
Tomentose Indian-fig. Clt. 1820. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. |, 
35 O. ranceoLa`ra (Haw. syn. 192.) plant erectish ; yma 
lanceolate ; spines uniform, very short. h. D.S. Native ° 
South America. Cactus lanceolatus, Haw. misc. p. 188. Leaves 
larger in this species than any of its allies, generally they a7 
more than 3 lines long. Flowers 4 inches in diameter, of a shin- 
ing yellow-colour. Stigmas 5, sulphur-coloured. b 
Lanceolate-lobed Indian-fig. Fl. July. Clt. 1796. Shru 
2 to 3 feet. 
36 O. rusercuta’ta (Willd. enum. suppl. p. 34. under Các- 
tus,) joints ovate-oblong, attenuated at both ends ; tubercles sp 
nose; prickles setaceous, about equal in length to the wool from 
which they rise. h.D.S. Native of tropical America. aw: 
rev. p. 80. The rest unknown. 
Warted Indian-fig. Clt. 1818. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. i 
37 O. mr'rus (D. C. prod. 3. p. 473.) plant strictly eret 4 
joints fleshy, ovate-elliptic ; spines uniform, very short, hair 
formed, very numerous. h. DÐ, S. Native of South Amene 
Cáctus Opúntia, D. C. pl. grass. no. 138. with a figure- Cáctu 
strictus, Haw. misc. 188. but not of Willd. O. stricta, Haw. 
syn. 191. Flowers yellow on both sides, spreading. 
Clt. 1688, 
