136 THE INSECT WORLD. 



made, a magnificent red frequently employed by painters. Lake 

 carmine is another product obtained from the cochineal. And, 

 lastly, scarlet is the powder of the cochineal precipitated by a salt of 

 tin. 



Before the Mexican cochineal was known in Europe, the ker7nes, 

 or Coccus i/icis, known still in commerce and by chemists under the 

 names of Animal kermes, Vegetable kermes, and Scaidet seed, was used 

 for the preparation of the carmine employed in the arts. This 

 cochineal lives by preference (at least, so it is supposed) on the ever- 

 green oak {Quercus ilex), whence its specific name. 



The Coccus ilicis develops itself almost exclusively, not on the 

 evergreen oak, but on the Quercus cocci/era, or kermes oak, a shrub 

 common in dry arid places on the Continent, and which vegetates on 

 a great number of spots in the Mediterranean, particularly on the 

 garrigues, or waste land, of Herault. 



The females of this insect, which, dried, bear the name of graines 

 lie kermes, are of the size of an ordinary currant, without any trace of 

 rings, nearly spherical, of a violet and glaucous colour. They adhere 

 to the boughs of the shrub Quercus cocci/era, and form dry brittle 

 masses, which the peasants of the south of France collect, and sell at 

 a tolerably high price. 



Before we possessed the cochineal of Mexico and of Algeria, this 

 cochineal was very much employed in the south of Europe, in the 

 East, and in Africa. It furnishes a beautiful red colour. This last 

 named and the Mexican cochineal are somewhat used in pharmacy. 

 They enter into alkermes, a sort of liquor served at dinner in Italy, 

 chiefly at Florence and Naples. 



Another species of cochineal is the Coccus polotiicus, which is met 

 with in Poland and Russia, more rarely in France, on the roots of a 

 small plant, the SclerantJms perennis. This cochineal is gathered in 

 the Ukraine towards the end of June, when the abdomen of the 

 female is swollen, and filled with a purple and sanguineous juice. 



The Polish kermes ( Coccus polonicus) was formerly used very much 

 m Europe. This product has not indeed lost all its importance in 

 those countries where it is met with in abundance. 



We have now only to point out among the insects of this group 

 the Coccus lacca, which lives in India on many trees, among others 

 on the Indian fig-tree, the Pagoda fig-tree, the Jujube tree, on the 

 Croton, &c. 



These last-mentioned insects produce a colouring matter known 

 under the name of Lac Dye. They fix themselves on the little 

 branches, gettmg together in great numbers, forming nearly straight 



