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to wliidi tlie legs are joined, had been thrown away, fo that nothing 

 was left, except the animal's hinder part ; and I imagined, tliat 

 the colourleis fiibrtance I before mentioned, and which is to be ob- 

 ferved in the chinks or creafes in every grain, is fome preparation, 

 apphcd to the Cociiincal, when it is collefted for fale, to defend it 

 from the mites, which otherwile would deftroy or devour it. 



Thcfe creafes or rings, in every grain of Cochineal, I imagine are, 

 the articulations or joints, in thole kinds ofmaggots or caterpillars, 

 which afterwards change into a flying inie61; : And I did not doubt, 

 that, at the proper feafon, when a fimilar kind of infers could be 

 found in this country, I Ihould eliablilli that fa61:, allowing only for 

 the ditference in fliape and colour between them, and thofe which 

 conftitute Cochineal. 



After this, I examined a large parcel of Cochineal, and in it I 

 found feveral of the fliells or coverings of the wings, which fliells 

 were of a black colour, with crh a red Ipot in the middle. Many 

 infefts are provided with thefe kinds oflhields, fhells, or cales, to de- 

 fend their wings and the hinder parts of their bodies, which are 

 very foft, from injury; and, when they prepare to take their flight, 

 they ere6l thefe fhields or cafes uprjght, and fpread their wings. 



In this parcel of Cochineal, I alfo found among the grains, fome 

 fragments of aurelias, which I concluded liad been formed from the 

 maggots or caterpillars of this fpecies, and, in one of them was a piece 

 of a maggot, which, in part, fcemed to have been devoured by mites. 



The children in this country, are accuftomed, in the fpring time, 

 (when the white nettles, or, as they are commonly called, the blind 

 nettles, are in bloflbm) to go in fearch of a fpecies of fmall flying 

 infe6fs, called by them lady-birds, which, for the moft part, are to be 

 found on tholl^ nettles. The fubje6t now before me, caufed me to 

 turn my thoughts on thefe infe6ls (though they are fmaller than 

 thofe whofe bodies conftitute Cochineal) and I employed fome chil- 



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