C 95 ] 
Further Account of the Polifh Cochineal : In a Letter 
from Dr. Wolfe to Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S. 
Read April 12, ¥ AST fummer I amufed myfelf with 
i 7 6 4 - 1 -^ the Polifli cochineal. It is unknown 
and negleded in this country. The feveral kinds of 
Potentillas are here very rare, and it was only upon 
the polygonum minus, or fcleranthus perennis Lin- 
naei, that I found the cochinille. I gathered about 
300 of the coccufles, and put them with the plants 
and fome fand in large pots. They are of different 
fizes. The infeds creep out of their coccufles from 
the beginning of June till the middle of Auguft: 
about fifty got out under my eyes. They are all ex- 
actly of the fame fhape : but fome are three times 
fmaller than others, according to their coccufles. 
‘j^be coccus is a thin round white fkin. The infeds 
are all hairy more or lefs; fome are of a darker colour, 
fome more crimfon; fome feem fomewhat longer,, 
others broader. But thefe differences feem to depend 
on their voluntary extenfion, and on their age, becaufe 
they grow from day to day darker and more hairy.. 
No mouth is to be feen, but a deep plait or furrow 
at the upper part of the breafl. Two extremely 
fmall dark points feem to be the eyes. The two 
horns are thick, twilled like a ferew, of the length 
of the breafl ; they end in an obtufe point. The two 
fore legs are twice the fize of the four hinder legs, 
they have all fharp black incurved claws. The fhape 
of the wrinkles and furrows may be feen in the drawing. 
It is impoflible to find marks of the fex ; and though. 
they join fometimes their anufles, yet they do it fo 
* J loofely 3 . 
