156 Miscellaneous . 



jars for a week ; but if warm, they are to be tied to the branches of 

 the trees, to be stocked without delay, being first folded between 

 leaves. By some, the nests are probed out of their seat in the bark 

 of the tree without removing the branches. At this period they are 

 particularly exposed to the attacks of birds, and require watching. 

 In a few days after being tied to the tree, the nests swell, and in- 

 numerable white insects, the size of "nits," emerge, and spread 

 themselves on the branches of the tree ; but soon with one accord 

 they descend towards the ground, where, if they find any grass, they 

 take up their quarters. To prevent this, the ground beneath is kept 

 quite bare, care being taken also that their implacable enemies, the 

 ants, have no access to the tree. 



Finding no congenial resting-place below, they re,-ascend and fix 

 themselves to the lower surface of the leaves, where they remain 

 several days, whence they repair to the branches, perforating the 

 bark to feed on the fluid within. From nits they attain the size and 

 appearance of " pediculus hominis.'" Having compared it to this, 

 the most familiar to them of all insects, our authors deem further 

 description superfluous. Early in June they give to the trees the 

 appearance of being covered with hoar frost, being changed into wax ; 

 soon after this they are scraped ofi^, being previously sprinkled with 

 water. If the gathering be deferred till August, they adhere too 

 firmly to be easily removed. Those which are suffered to remain to 

 stock trees the ensuing season, secrete a purplish envelope about the 

 month of August, which at first is no larger than a grain of rice ; but 

 as incubation proceeds, it expands, and becomes as large as a fowl's 

 head, which is in spring, when the nests are transferred to other 

 trees, one or more to each, according to their size and vigour, in the 

 manner already described. 



On being scraped from the trees, the crude material is freed from 

 its impurities, probably the integuments of the insect, by spreading 

 it on a strainer covering a cylindrical vessel which is placed in a 

 caldron of boiling water ; the wax is received into the former vessel, 

 and on congealing is ready for the market. The Pe-la or white wax 

 in its chemical properties is analogous to purified bees' -wax, and also 

 spermaceti, but differs from both, being in my opinion an article 

 perfectly sui generis. It is purely white, transparent, shining, not 

 unctuous to the touch, inodorous, insipid, crumbles into a dry inad- 

 hesive powder between the teeth, with a fibrous texture, resembling 

 fibrous calc-spar ; it melts at 100° Fahr., is insoluble in water, dis- 

 solves in heated essential oils, and is scarcely affected by boiling 

 alcohol, the acids, or alkalies. 



The aid of analytical chemistry is needed for the proper elucidation 

 of this most beautiful material. There can be no doubt it would 

 prove altogether superior in the arts to purified bees' -wax. On extra- 

 ordinary occasions the Chinese employ it for candles and tapers. It 

 has been supposed to be identical with the white lac of Madras ; but 

 as the Indian article has been found useless in the manufacture of 

 candles*, it cannot be the same; it far excels also the vegetable 

 wax {Myrica cerifera) of the United States. 



* Dr. Pearson's Philosophical Transactions, vol. xxi. 



