130 



THE INSECT WORLD. 



Fig. 92. 

 Cochineal insects, 



[Coccus cacti) 

 male and female. 



hairs, longer than its ^frX:^:tSi^f^^"o^SZ^y 

 beyond the extremity of Us ■■^Momen and cross e ,^ 



over its back. It is >-ely and active Jh^ 'e^^.^^ p^ ^ H^ ^^^^ 

 different appearance. It is >" Jf'v"'^ I' j resembles a larva, and 

 ^ale (Fi, ,.), ^<^^X.t:r^^''^\:-y.:^ [s formed of a dozen 

 segments, covered with a glaucous dust. The 

 beak is very fully developed, and the two hairs 

 or bristles on the abdomen are much shorter than 



in the male. , • j vu 4.1,^ 



The weight of the body, combmed with the 

 shortness of the legs, prevents these creatures 

 from being active. The leg. only serve m fact, 

 for clinging to the vegetable from which they draw 

 their nourishment. The circumstances attending 

 the birth of the cochineal insect are very curious. 

 The larvce are bom in the dried-up body of their 

 dead mother, the skeleton of their mother serving 

 them as a cradle. This happens thus -.—The eggs 

 are attached to the lower part of the mothers 

 body. When the abdomen of the mother is empty, its lower side 

 draws up towards the upper side, and the two together form a pretty 

 lar-e cavity. When the mother dies, which is not long in happening 

 he? abdomen dries up, her skin becomes horny, and forms a sort 

 of shell. It is in this membranous cradle that the larv^ of the 

 cochineal insect are born. The cochineal insect m its wild state 

 lives in the woods. But it can without difficulty be reared artificially. 

 Every one knows that the little insect called the cochineal, 

 furnishes, when its body has been dried and reduced to powder, a 

 colouring matter of a beautiful red, peculiar to itself This circum- 

 stance has saved the cochineal from the persecution to which so 

 many other kinds of insects have been devoted by the hand of man. 

 In hot climates, in which the cochineal insect delights, it has been 

 preserved, and is cukivated as an article of commerce. This is 

 how the cochineal is reared in Mexico :— An open piece of land is 

 chosen, protected against the west wind, and of about one or two 

 acres in extent. This is surrounded with a hedge of reeds, plante'* 

 m hues, distant from each other about a yard, with cuttings of cactr 

 at most about two feet apart. The cactus garden made, the ne: 

 thing is to establish in it cochineals. With this object in view th( 

 are sought in the woods, or else the females of the cochineal inse 

 which are pregnant are taken off plants which have been shelter' 



