4,44 ^HE COCHIIfEAlS. 



leaves of a plant known by the various names of opurf*" 

 tia, nopal, racker, and cardaffia. The method of culti 

 ■eating them upon this tree, praiSlifed by the Mexicans, 

 k by collecling ten or twelve together into one nidus, 

 made of mofs or cotton ; thefe infe£ls being put into thefc 

 ncfts, are fixed to the branches^of opuntia, which is plant- 

 ed around their honfes. 



Cochineals have not long remained in this Hate when 

 they produce fwarms of young, which difperfe and ie.e.di 

 among the juicy leaves, and there produce a new gene- 

 ration. The infe£ls having thus multiplied, are gather- 

 ed three different feafons in the year : the firfl is per- 

 formed by taking away the nefls that w^ere placed origi- 

 nally upon the tree ; the fecond, by picking the coclii- 

 neal from, the leaves with pincers ; and the third, at the 

 approach of winter, by cutting off ths leaves, which are 

 yet loaded with infedts : This lafl contains animals in 

 va'rious fl ages of their cxiflence, and of different fizes j 

 it is therefore reckoned of inferior quality on that ac- 

 count, and alfo, becauie, in fcraping the leaf, fome part 

 of the epiderm neceflarily comes off, and mixes with the 

 cochineal. The Spafiianls call it Crani/Ia. 



Having thus collecltd the infe^is, the next part of the 

 procefb is killing them and preparing them for fale ; and 

 according as this is performed, the cochineal is fuppofed 

 to be of different quality, and obtains various names, ac- 

 cording as Its colour is fuppofed to be more or lefs af- 

 fected. That which is prepared by the gentle heat of o- 

 vt ns, is of an alh-grey, or mottled colour, and named 

 ^nfpeada. If the infe£ls are deprived of life by plungiag 

 them with bafkets into Hot water, it then goes by the 

 name of Renegrids, and is not covered over with that 

 white powder, common to the other kinds. Laftly, it 



bear^ 



