CHANGES OF THE COCHINEAL. 115 



female merely changes her skin, and remains fixed 

 to the bark, which she gradually becomes so nearly 

 like, that it is difficult to distinguish her. She 

 now lays her eggs, which are very numerous, and 

 which she accumulates beneath her body ; but, at 

 the same time, she gradually dwindles in size until 

 her body becomes a mere pellicle or thin mem- 

 brane inclosing the brood. The mother then dies, 

 but her dried body remains as a sort of shell or 

 cocoon for the protection of her young. When 

 these are hatched, they soon make their way from 

 beneath the scaly covering, and commence feeding 

 vigorously on the juices of the plant. 



To the persevering exertions of a French gen- 

 tleman, M. Thierry de Menonville, it was owing 

 that the culture of the cochineal became known in 

 the West India islands. This gentleman left Port 

 an Prince, in St. Domingo, in January 1777, with 

 the express object of procuring some living co- 

 chineal insects of the finest sort from Mexico, and 

 bringing them for propagation in the French West 

 India islands; an enterprise for the expense of 

 which the French government had allotted the 



