MB. HANBTJBY ON INSECT-WAX FBOM CHINA. 103 



upon the subject, and especially dwelt on the care necessary in 

 the selection and treatment of the cuttings of the cane-tops for 

 future plantations. The destruction of the eggs and young larvae 

 attached to such shoots would be effected if the latter were kept 

 immersed in damp furrows, but the nature of the soil of the island 

 prevented such a process ; their immersion in a liquid capable of 

 destroying the insect embryo without hurting the plant was also 

 insisted upon ; as well as the placing of the cuttings for a time 

 in a close atmosphere saturated with the fumes of prussic acid 

 arising from bruised laurel-leaves, which would certainly destroy 

 the insect. 



From the account given of this Mauritian borer, it appears 

 identical with the borer of the West Indian plantations described 

 by Eabricius under the name of Phalcena saccharalis, and by the 

 Eev. L. G-uilding under that of Diatrcea Sacchari in a memoir 

 published in the Transactions of the Society of Arts, for which he 

 received the G-old Ceres Medal from the Society. 



Notice of a Specimen of Insect-wax from China. 

 By Daniel Hanbuby, Esq., F.L.S. &c, 



[Read April 15th, 1856.] 



[Abstract.] 



Mb. D. Hanbuby exhibited a specimen of Chinese Insect-wax in 

 the crude state, attached to the branch on which it had been 

 formed by the insect, Coccus Pe-la, "Westw.* (O. sinensis, Westw. 

 Pharm. Journ. xii. 478). 



The specimen was obtained by Dr. M'Cartee of Ningpo, at a 

 spot about fourteen miles N.E. of that city. The exact locality is 

 described as " three miles from Chin-hae, southerly, behind the 

 first range of hills across the river, — in the direction of Ling-fung," 

 where the trees supporting the wax-insect occur on the banks of 

 the canals. 



Dr. M'Cartee procured specimens for Mr. Fortune, which that 

 gentleman has taken to India with the view of introducing the 

 insect into that country. He also sent specimens to "William Lock- 

 hart, Esq., of Shanghai, through whose kindness that exhibited 

 was received. r 



It may be remarked that, according to the Chinese accounts 



* Gardener's Chronicle for Aug. 20, 1853 (p. 532). 



