coccus. 1Q3 
hair-powder, powdered talc, &c. in that innocent 
cosmetic, so much used by the Ladies, and popu- 
larly known by the French term Rouge. 
Coccus Ilicis or Kermes, (the Kermes of the 
Materia Medica) is a species adhering, in its ad- 
vanced or pregnant state, to the shoots of the 
Quei'cus coccifei-a, (Ilex aculeata cocciglandifera. 
C. Bauh. pin.) under the form of smooth reddish- 
brown or blackish powdery grains or balls of the 
size of small peas. The tree or shrub grows plen- 
tifully in many parts of France, Spain, Greece, 
and the islands of the Archipelago. The Cocci 
are found adhering in groupes of five, six, or more 
together, or pretty near each other. They are 
gathered for the purposes of commerce by the 
country people. 
■ Before the discovery of America the Coccus 
Ilicis or Kermes, as it was then termed, was the 
most valuable substance for dying scarlet, and 
was collected in great quantity for that purpose. 
Accoiding to the mildness or severity of the winter 
the harvest of the Kermes is said to be more or 
less plentiful; and it is no very uncommon thing 
to have two harvests in a year. Before dying, the 
berries are steeped in vinegar, to prevent the ex- 
clusion of the young animals by thus killing the 
parents. They are then spread or thrown on linen, 
and as long as they continue moist are turned 
twice or thrice a day, to prevent their heating, and 
are afterwards put up for sale, 
u Woolen' cloth dyed with Kermes was called 
"ST V. VI. P. I. 1 q 
