186 
The Natural Hifiory of the Book Vy. 
The COCHINEAL. | 
4 Deas 1S hath at a Diftance the Refemblance of the Pimploe; but i 
generally grows higher ; and the Leaves are {mooth, bearing man 
rofaceous red Flowers, which are fucceeded by fomewhat round fealy 
Fruit, whofe Infide is full of {mall Acini, and purple Juice. 
The PrickLy PeaR-V1INE; Lat. Cereus fcandens minor, 
HIS likewife is of the fame Texture as the three laft already defcribed, 
each of them, in my Opinion, being a ftrange Mixture between 
a Plant and a Shrub. This, if fupported by a Wall, will grow above fif 
teen Feet high, compofed of feveral thickifh Leaves of a triangular 
Form, almoft as deeply indented between every Angle as the Blade of a 
three-edged Sword. Thefe Leaves are of a ftrong ligneous Subftance, of 
about two Feet long, the Extremity of one giving Birth to another. The 
Edges of every Angle are, at certain Diftances, thickly covered with 
Tufts of very fharp-pointed Prickles. From thefe Eminences likewife 
proceed the Flowers : Thefe are of the rofaceous Kind, ftanding up- 
on longifh green bulbous Stalks. The Petals of each Flower are fixteen 
in Number, two Inches long, and blunt-pointed ; thefe are fo very thin, 
that when laid over the {malleft Print, it may be feen and read through 
the Leaves. Thefe membranaceous Petals are fupported by other green 
capfular Leaves ; the Style is large and ftrong, furrounded by numerous 
white Chives, tipp’d with whitith Summits. The Fruit, when ripe, is of 
an oval Form, and often as large as a Turkey-ege : The outfide Skin or 
Rind is, when full-ripe, of a dark-purple Colour, and fcaly at about 
every Half-inch Diftance, each Scale being of a triangular Shape, and 9 
fharp-pointed. The whole Rind is likewife here-and-there ftudded with @ 
Tufts of very {mall fharp Prickles ;\ the Infide is full of purplifh folid 
Pulp, intermixed with {mall whitifh Specks; the whole fomewhat juicy, 
and well tafted. 
The Witp CucumBEeR-VINE ; Lat. Anguria. 
ioe is called by Father PLumizr, Anguria fruftu echinato edult. This } 
quadrangular rough hairy Vine hath a long Tap-root, very little 
divided, even at its Extremity ; it creeps generally upon the Ground, 3 
and by its numerous twifting Clafpers takes hold on every Side of the | 
neighbouring Bufhes: Its Leaves, which ftand upon two-inch long Foot 
ftalks, are deeply divided into three, fometimes more, round-pointed 
Sections ; its Flower, which is yellow, is fucceeded by a fmall Cucumbet, 9 
whofe Surface is covered with many foft-pointed Prickles ; they are fome- 9 
times eaten, but are efteemed to be of too cold a Nature to be whol- J 
tome. 
I Tht | 
