Entomological Society. 3821 



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 innumerable 

 white insects, the size of ' nits,' emerge, and spread themselves on the branches of 

 the tree, but soon, with one accord, 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 reascend and fix 

 themselves to the lower surface of the leaves, where they remain several days, when 

 they repair to the branches, perforating the bark to feed on the fluid within. 



"From 'nits' they attain the size of Pediculus homi. Having compared it to 

 this, the most familiar to them of all insects, the Chinese authors, from whose writings 

 most of these particulars have been derived, deem all further description superfluous. 

 Early in June, the insects give to the trees the appearance of being covered with hoar 

 frost, being 'changed into wax: ' soon after this they are scraped off, being previ- 

 ously 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 end 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 the spring, when the nests are transferred to 

 other trees, as already described. 



" On being scraped from the trees the crude material is freed from its impurities, 

 probably the skeleton of the insect, by spreading it on a strainer covering a cylindri- 

 cal vessel, which is placed in a cauldron of boiling water ; the wax is received into 

 the former vessel, and on congealing is ready for the market. 



" This white wax, in its chemical properties, is analogous to purified bees'-wax, 

 and also spermaceti, but differing from both ; being, in my opinion, an article per- 

 fectly sui generis. It is perfectly white, translucent, shining, not unctuous to the 

 touch, inodorous, insipid, crumbles into a dry, inadhesive powder between the teeth, 

 with a fibrous texture, resembling fibrous felspar ; melts at 100° Fahr. (sic) ; insolu- 

 ble in water, dissolves in essential oil, 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.* It has been supposed to be identical with the white wax of 

 Madras, but as the Indian article has been found useless in the manufacture of can- 

 dles, it cannot be the same as the Chinese, which is used for this purpose. It far 

 excels also the vegetable wax of the United States (Myrica cerifera). 



" Is this substance a secretion ? There are Chinese who regard it as such ; some 

 representing it to be the saliva, and others the excrement of the insect. European 

 writers take nearly the same view ; but the best authorities expressly say that this 

 opinion is incorrect, and that the animal is changed into wax. I am inclined to be- 

 lieve that the insect undergoes what may be styled a ceraceous degeneration, its whole 

 body being permeated by the peculiar product, in the same manner as the Coccus 

 Cacti is by carmine. 



* " In a memoir in the ' Philosophical Transactions ' for 1848, Mr. B. C. JBrodie 

 states, that although in appearance this substance resembles stearine or spermaceti 

 more thau bees'-wax, it comes nearest to purified Cerin! " 



