ORDER II. BUGS. 



87 



opens their petals to the day points them out as the appro- 

 priate food to some of those animals whose life or death 

 ministers to man ! The blooming Cactus not only charms 

 the eye of man, and makes the arid desert blossom as the 

 rose, but it furnishes food for an insect that lives upon it, 

 and grows and dies to clothe man with the same resplen- 

 dent dye. 



This insect is the Cochineal, a species of Shield-louse, 

 also called Scale Insect, of the genus Coccus, and of the 

 order Tlemiptera. 



This little insect has a curious history. It was used 

 for dyeing the most brilliant and beautiful red and purple 

 colors, and was considered a valuable article of commerce, 

 from which much money was made, long before it was 

 known what the substance was composed of. 



The French Naturalist, Plumier, in 1692 excited the 

 ridicule of his nation, and was considered a fool because he 

 pronounced the Cochineal to be an insect. But in 1714 

 the French Philosopher, Geoffrey, proved the opinion of 

 Plumier to be correct. By moistening these supposed 

 seeds in vinegar Geoffroy was able to detect the ringlets 

 of its body as well as its feet, and accordingly pronounced 

 unhesitatingly the Cochineal to be an insect, lluusscher, 

 in Holland, held the same opinion, and was publicly as- 

 sailed for it, on account of which he caused the Cochineal 

 cultivators to be summoned before the court of Antiguera, 

 in the valley of Oaxaca, in Mexico, there to be examined 

 with regard to the origin and nature of these creatures. 

 The examination proved Ruusscher's opinion correct, and 

 the Cochineal henceforth was considered an insect. This 

 was probably the first instance in which an animal was re- 

 stored to its natural rights by the decision of a Judicial 

 Court* 



The Cochineal is a natural production of North and 

 * See Naturlyke Historic von de Cochenille. Amsterdam, 1729. 



