HISTORY OF INSECTS. 87 



284. Kermes, the most brilliant scarlet dye 

 known previously to the discovery of America, is 

 an insect found abundantly on the quercus coccifera, 

 in the south of Europe : this was the celebrated 

 Phoenician dye. 



285. Shell-lac, a glutinous substance, now of 

 very great importance in the manufacture of hats, 

 and of value as an ingredient of printers' ink, is 

 secreted by an insect which swarms on the trunks 

 of several kinds of trees in India. 



286. Wax, that enlightens our drawing-rooms, 

 and in combination is applied to a great variety 

 of purposes, is manufactured by the bee, whose 

 history has already been related. 



287. Honey is another production of the same 

 industrious insect, and though much of its value 

 has departed since the introduction of sugar, it is 

 still an article of luxury. 



288. Mead, a wholesome and delicious beve- 

 rage, for which this country has long been famous, 

 and the manufacture of which is still carried on 

 with great skill and success in some of our counties, 

 is made from honey. 



289. Locusts, as an article of food, are spoken 

 of in Scripture. The inhabitants of Fez, Morocco, 

 and adjacent countries, eat them at this day ; and 

 the Hottentots hail the coming of the locusts with 

 delight, and are said to fatten on them. 



290. The fructification of many plants is en- 

 tirely accomplished by the different species of 



