c o c 
wicli great dexterity; and aifo on the feeds of many 
different plants. 
COCCOTHRAUSTES CRISTATA. An 
appellation generally given by naturalifts to the 
Virginian nightingale; that bird being truly a 
Coccothrauftes, though it has received the name 
of nightingale on account of the fweemefs of it's 
modulations. 
COCCUS. A very comprehenfive genus of 
the hemiptera clafs of infefls; the chara£ters of 
which are, that the trunk arifes from the bread; 
that the body is fetofe behind ; and that the two 
wings are placed eredt, and only to be found in the 
males. 
This genus comprehends all the progal infefls 
of Reaumur. 
COCCUS ILEX. This infeft, which is known 
among druggifts by the nanie of kermes, is a na- 
tive of the berry-bearing ilex, afpecies of oak. It 
appears to be a membranaceous bladder of the 
fize of a pea, finooth and fhining, of a brownifh 
red colour, covered with very fine down or cine- 
reous powder, and fvvelling with reddifh eggs, 
which being fricated, pour out a crimfon fluid. 
It is found in the warmer climates during the 
months of May and June. In March, a fpecies 
of inie(5ts, lefs than the feeds of millet, is firft per- 
ceptible, of an oblong oval form, only a little nar- 
rowed tov/ard.s the tail. The upper part is convex, 
red, and marked with exceedingly minute golden 
fpecks, and a few tranfverfe wrinlcles. It has fix 
feet and two moveable feelers, almoft of an equal 
length with the body ; it has black eyes ; and a dou- 
ble tail, of the fime length with the body. It ad- 
heres to the trunk, branches, and leaves of the ti-ee ; 
and becomes torpid and immoveable, Iwelling and 
increafing in magnitude very fenfibly. If viewed 
with a microfcope at this period of it's exiftence, 
it appears of a crimfon colour, fhining with golden 
fpecks, and lying in afort of whitifhdown, which 
forms a kind of nefb. The back, which rifes very 
high, is of a round figure; and in the fore-part of 
the body three protuberances are perceived, of 
which that in the middle is thick and roundifh, but 
thofe on the fides are more (lender, and incurvated 
near the centre. 
In the month of April the Coccus becomes as 
large as a common pea ; it's membrane or fl<in is 
finner; and the down, which at firfb lay in bands 
on the ficin, covers the whole furface like a fort of 
duft; and then the animal appears no longer, but 
only a bladder full of pale and watery blood. 
About the middle of May, the interior part of 
the bladder, under the belly of the animalcule, is 
furniflied with oval grains, each about half the fize 
of a poppy-feed, and of a pale reddifh colourfpeck- 
led with gold : thefe confift of a thin, white, tranf- 
parent fl<:in, full of a pale reddifli fluid. On each 
bladder there are about tvv'o thoufand of thefe mi- 
nute excrefcences, which -in the following fpring 
affix themfelves to the trunks and branches of the 
trees where they afterwards depofit their eggs, and 
thus continue the round of nature. 
When the Coccus has attained it's proper fize, 
the fkin of the belly is pulled up towards the back, 
leaving a vacant fpace between the belly and the 
down,fo as to exhibit the appearance of hog-lice half 
rolled up; and in this form the animal lays it's 
eggs, dies, and is dried up. 
The Coccus, or kermes, is of two fexes, and hi- 
therto the females only have been defcribed: but 
die males are very differentj being a fore of fmall 
COG 
f?ies like gna:ts, with fix feet, of which the four fore- 
mofl are fhort, and the other two long, divided into 
four joints, and armed with three crooked nails. 
On the head appear two feelers a line and a half 
long, which are flexible, flreaked, and articulated. 
The tail at the back part of the body is half a line 
long, and forked. The whole body is covered 
with two tranfparent wings; and the animal leaps 
about after the manner of a flea. 
The harvefl of the Cocci is more plentiful or 
otherwife in proportion to the feverity of the win- 
ter, and their colour is alfo brighter and better 
in proportion to their vicinity to the fea. This 
drug, ufed by dyers, is in much lefs repute fince 
the importation of cochineal, which more effeflu- 
ally anfwers every wiflied-for purpofe. 
COCCUS POLONICUS. This infecft may 
with propriety be called the cochineal of the north- 
ern part of the world ; for, as the cochineal loves 
only hot climates, this creature delights folely in cold 
ones. It is colledcd for the ufe of dyers ; but it is 
greatly inferior to the genuine cochineal ; and the 
crops of it are not only much flnaller, but gathered 
with more difHculty. Being principally found in Po- 
land, it is thence called the Coccus Polonicus, or the 
fcarlet grain of Poland. However, it is to be mec 
with in many other cold countries ; and may very 
pofTibly be produced in fome of the more tempe- 
rate ones, where it is not known, being concealed 
by nature from the eyes of common obfervers. 
This Polifli Coccus is found afiixed'to the roo£ 
of a fmall plant, and ufually to one kind of vege- 
table, which from this circumftance has received 
the name of polygonum cocciferum. Authors in- 
form us, that the fame produftion is alio found 
united to the roots of the moufe-ear, rupture- wort, 
pimpernel, and pellitory of the wall ; and that it is 
leldom difcovered except in very dry fituations. 
Breynius pubiifhed a very curious account of 
this infeft produ6lion in 173 1 ; which incontefta- 
bly proves it to be an animal, and affords abund- 
ant reafons for referring it to the progal inkCt 
clafs. 
There are feveral other fpecies of European 
Cocci, or kermes, mentioned by naturalifls ; but 
their accounts are fo replete with confufion, con- 
tradiftion, and obfcurity, that we are induced to 
think the anim.al varies only from the particular 
plant on which it is found, and not from any effen- 
tial difference in the fpecies. 
COCCYX. The Greek appellation of the fifh 
called cuculus and lyra by the Latinifls. It is a 
fpecies of the trigla, and is diflinguifhed by Ar- 
tedi under the name of the trigla entirely of a red 
colour, w'lih a bifid fnout, and ftriated coverings 
to the gills. 
COCHINEAL. An animal of the progal 
kind, of very great value on account of it's ufe in 
dyeing. This produ6lion has been varioufly de- 
fcribed by different authors: fome have fuppofed 
it to be a vegetable excrefcence from the tree on. 
which it. is found; while others have defcribed 
it as a loufe, fome as a bug, and others as a beetle. 
As the Cochineal appears on importation, it is of 
an irregular fhape, convex on one fide, and a little 
concave on the other; but both are marked with 
tranfverfe ftreaks or wrinkles. It is generally of a 
fcarlet colour internally, and of a blackifh red ex- 
ternally; and fometimes of a white, reddifh, or afli- 
colour, which is accounted the beft; and is the 
produce of Mexico, 
The Cochijical infed is of an oval form, of thz 
