NATURAL HISTORY. 



669 



gulates into a viscid, ropy sub- 

 stance, which, hardened in the 

 open air, is similar to the cell of 

 the coccus laccse. The natives 

 boil this fig milk with oils into a 

 birdlime which will hold peacocks 

 or the largest birds ; in the same 

 manner a red medicinal gum is 

 produced from the wounded prass 

 tree, so similar to the gimi lac, 

 that it may readily be taken foi* 

 the same substance ; hence it is 

 probable that those insects have 

 little trouble in animalizing the 

 sap of these plants in the forma- 

 tion of their cells. 



The gum lac is said to be pro- 

 duced from the ber or beyer tree, 

 which is frequent in this country ; 

 it is the rhamnus jujuba Linnsei, 

 or jujube tree; I will not deny 

 the fact, but what has been 

 shewn to me as such, was a sub- 

 stance very different from the lac : 

 thefe is a fungous excrescence 

 frequently gi'ows from the small 

 branches of this tree, the little 

 tender granulations of which are 

 at first covered with a red bloom, 

 Which soon turns black, and 

 neither contains insects, lac, nor 

 colour, that ever I could find, 

 even with the utmost care in my 

 inquiries. This tree is much fre- 

 quented by ants, flies, and various 

 insects, which destroy the flowers, 

 leaves and fruit ; this mistake has 

 probably led Bontius, father Tac- 

 hard, and their copiers into error. 



The lac of this country is prin- 

 cipally found upon the unculti- 

 vated mountains on both sides of 

 the Ganges, where bountiful na- 

 ture has produced it in such pro- 

 digious abundance, that was the 

 consumi)tion ten times greater the 

 markets might be supplied by this 

 minute insect ! The only trouble 



in procuring the lac, is in break- 

 ing down the branches, and carry- 

 ing the sticks to market; the 

 present price in Dacca is about 

 12 shillings the hundred weight, 

 and it is brought from the distant 

 country of Asani ! The best lac is 

 of a deep red colour ; if it is pale 

 and pierced at the top, the value 

 diminishes, because the insects 

 have left their cells, and conse- 

 quently, they can be of no use as 

 a dye or colour, but probably they 

 are better for varnishes. 



The insect and its cell has gone 

 under the various names of gum 

 lac, lac tree, in Bengali, lac sand ; 

 by the English it is distinguished 

 into, — 1. Stick lac ; which is the 

 natural state from which all the 

 others are formed ; — 2. Seed lac, 

 is the cells separated from the 

 sticks; — 3. Lump lac, is seed lac 

 liquified by fire, and formed into 

 cakes; 4. Shell lac, is the cells 

 liquified, strained, and formed 

 into thin transparent lamina;, in 

 the following manner : — separate 

 the cells from the branches, break 

 them into small pieces, throw 

 them into a tub of water for one 

 day; wash off the red water and 

 dry the cells, and with them fill a 

 cylindrical tube of cotton cloth, 

 two feet long and an inch and a 

 half diameter^ tie both ends, turn 

 the bag abo\'e a charcoal fire ; as 

 the lac liquifies, twist the bag, 

 and when a sufficient quantity has 

 transuded the pores of the cloth, 

 lay it upon a smooth junk of 

 plantain tree (musa paradisiaca 

 Linna;i) and with a strip of the 

 plantain leaf draw it into a thin 

 lamina, take it off while flexible, 

 for in a minute it will be hard and 

 brittle ; the value of shell lac is 

 according to its transparency. 



Thi» 



