CHARACTERS. 



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most common ants of Mexico are 

 of three kinds ; the small black 

 ants are the same with the ants of 

 Europe. The second species are 

 the large red ants, called bravas, 

 or fierce, which give very painful 

 wounds with their stingg. The 

 third species are the large brown 

 ants, called arrieros, or carriers, 

 because they are continually era- 

 ployed in carrying grain for their 

 provisions, and for that reason 

 they are more hurtful to the coun- 

 try than the common ant. 



Ticks are very common in the 

 fields of Mexico : they fix in the 

 skins of sheep, horses, and other 

 quadrupeds, and get into their 

 ears, and sometimes even into the 

 ears of men. 



The celebrated cochineal is an 

 insect peculiar to Mexico, and is 

 the most useful of all that the 

 land produces. The cochineal at 

 its utmost growth, in size and 

 figure, resembles a bug : the fe- 

 male is ill-proportioned and slug- 

 gish. The eyes, mouth, antennae, 

 and feet, are so concealed among 

 the wrinkles of its skin, that they 

 cannot be discovered without the 

 assistance of a microscope. The 

 males are not so numerous, and 

 one male serves for three hundred 

 females ; they are likewise smaller 

 and thinner than the females, but 

 more brisk and active. Upon the 

 head of this insect are two arti- 

 culated antennae, in each articu- 

 lation of which are four small 

 bristles, regularly disposed. It 

 has six feet, each consisting of 

 three parts. From the hind part 

 of the body grow out two hairs, 

 which are two or three times as long 

 as the whole insect. The male has 

 two large wings, which are want- 

 ing in the female : these wings are 



strengthened by two membranes, 

 one external, stretching along the 

 circumference of the wing ; the 

 other internal, which runs parallel 

 to the former. The internal co- 

 lour of this insect is a deep red, 

 but darker in the female, and the 

 external colour is a pale red. In 

 the wild cochineal, the internal 

 colour is still darker, and the ex- 

 ternal is whitish or ash-coloured. 

 The cochineal is reared upon a 

 speciesof nopal, opuntia, or Indian 

 prickly fig, which grows to the 

 height of about eight feet, and 

 bears a fruit like the figs of other 

 opuntias, but not eatable. It feeds 

 upon the leaves of that tree by 

 sucking the juice with a trunk 

 situated in the thorax, betwixt the 

 two fore-feet ; there it passes 

 through all the stages of its 

 growth, and at length produces a 

 numerous offspring. This insect, 

 so greatly valued in Europe on ac- 

 count of its dyes, and especially 

 those of scarlet and crimson, being 

 not only extremely delicate, but 

 also assailed by several enemies, 

 demands a great deal more care 

 from the breeders than is neces- 

 sary for the silk-worm. Rain, 

 cold, and strong winds destroy it. 

 Birds, mice, and worms persecute 

 anddevourit; hence it isabsolutely 

 necessary to keep the rows of op un- 

 tia, or nopal, where these insects 

 are bred, always clean, to attend 

 constantly to drive away the birds 

 which are destructive to them, to 

 make nests of hay for them in the 

 leaves of the opuntia ; and when 

 the season of rain approaches, to 

 lake them, along with the leaves of 

 the plants, and keep them in 

 houses. Before the females are 

 delivered, they cast their skin, to 

 obtain which spoil, the breeders 



