HEMIPTEEA. 139 



The Coccus ilicis develops itself almost exclusively, not on the 

 green 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 on the Mediterranean, particularly 

 on the garrigues or waste lands of Herault. 



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

 graines de 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 polonicus, which is 

 met with in Poland and Russia, more rarely in France, on the 

 roots of a small plant, the Scleranthus perennis. This cochineal 

 is gathered in the Ukraine towards the end of June, when the 

 abdomen of the females is swollen, and filled with a purple and 

 sanguineous juice. 



The Polish kermes (Coccus polonicus) was formerly used very 

 much in Europe. This product has not indeed lost all its im- 

 portance 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 locca, 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. They fix themselves on the little branches, 

 getting together in great numbers, forming nearly straight lines. 

 The bodies of many fecundated females, united together by a 

 resinous exudation which is caused by the piercing of the bark, 

 constitutes the matter called in commerce, and by dyers, by the 

 name of lac, resinous lac, gum lac, &c. 



Resinous lac is found in commerce under four forms : first, the 



