coccus. 
192 
proceeding from the tip of the proboscis in the 
full-grown insect. 
The Male is a small and rather slender dipterous 
fly, about the size of a flea, with jointed antennae 
and large white wings in proportion to the body, 
which is of a red colour, with two long filaments 
proceeding from the tail. It is an active and lively 
animal, and is dispersed in small numbers among 
the females, in the proportion, according to Mr. 
Ellis, in the Philosophical Transactions, of about 
one male to a hundred and fifty, or even two 
liundred females. When the female insect has 
discharged all its eggs, it becomes a mere husk, 
and dies; so that great care is taken to kill the 
insects before that time, to prevent the young 
from escaping, and thus disappointing the pro- 
prietor of the beautiful colour. The insects when 
picked or brushed off the plants, are said to be 
first killed either by the fumes of heated vinegar, 
or by smoke, and then dried, in which state they 
are imported into Europe; and it is said that the 
Spanish Government is annually more enriched 
by the profit of the Cochineel trade than by the 
produce of all its gold-mines. 
It may perhaps be almost unnecessary to add, 
that, exclusive of the general or large scale in 
which Cochineel is used by the dyers, the fine 
colour so much esteemed in painting, and known 
by the name of Carmine, is no other than a pre- 
paration from the same substance, and is un- 
questionably the most beautiful of all the pictorial 
reds. It is also used, when properly mixed with 
