COCHlJs'EAL. 261 



Nopal, or Cactus cochinellifer, supposing it not to be able to 

 live upon any other plant. In the year 1677, however, Thierry 

 de Meronville, a Frenchman, made an effort to deprive them of 

 the exclusive possession of the treasure they guarded with such 

 jealous care. Under a thousand dangers, and by means of 

 lavish bribery, he succeeded in transporting some of the plants, 

 along with their costly parasite, to the French colony of San 

 Domingo ; but, unfortunately, his perseverance did not lead to 

 any favourable results, and more than a century elapsed after 

 this first ineffectual attempt before the rearing of cochineal 

 extended beyond its original limits. 



In the year 1827, M. Berthelot, director of the botanical 

 garden at Orotava, was more fortunate in introducing it into 

 the Canary Islands, where it thrives so well upon the Opuntia 

 Ficus indica, that Teneriffe rivals Mexico in its production. 

 At present Cochineal is not only raised in many other parts of 

 the tropical world, but even in Spain, near Valencia and Malagti. 

 The Coccus which produces lac, or gumlac, is a native of 

 India, and thrives and multiplies best on several species of the 

 fig-tree. A cheap method having been discovered within the 

 last few years of separating the colouring matter which it con- 

 tains from the resinous part, it has greatly increased in com- 

 mercial importance. 



In the tropical zone we find that not only many birds and 

 several four-footed animals live chiefly, or even exclusively, on 

 insects, but that they are even consumed in large quantities, or 

 eaten as delicacies, by man himself. The nomade of the 

 Sahara and the South African bushman hail the appearance of 

 locust swarms as a season of plenty and good living, and ants' 

 eggs eke out the meagre bill of fare of the wild Indians on the 

 banks of the Orinoco. 



Several of the large African caterpillars are edible, and 

 considered as a great delicacy by the natives. On the leaves of 

 the Mopane tree, in the Bushman country, the small larvae of 

 a winged insect, a species of Psylla, appear covered over with 

 a sweet gummy substance, wliich is collected by the people in 

 great quantities, and used as food. Another species in New 

 Holland, found on the leaves of the Eucalyptus, emits a similar 

 secretion, which, along with its insect originator, is scraped off 

 the leaves and eaten by the aborigines as a saccharine dainty. 



