[ «* ] 
XV. Chermes Lacca. By William Roxburgh, M . D. of 
Samulcotta. Communicated by Patrick Ruffell, M . D . F . R . 
Read May 19, 1791. 
iQOME p* ieces G f ver y fre(h-looking lac, adhering to fmall 
^ branches of Mimofa cinerea *, were brought me from the 
mountains, on the 20th of November, 1789. I kept them 
carefully in wide-mouthed cryftal bottles, flightly covered ; and 
this day, the 4th of December, fourteen days from the time 
they came from the hills, thoufands of exceeding minute red 
animals were obferved crawling about the lac and the branches 
it adhered to, and ftill more were iffuing from fmall holes on 
the furface of the cells. By the afliftance of glafles, fmall im- 
perforated excrefcences were alfo obferved, interfperfed among 
thefe holes, two, regularly, to each hole, crowned with fome 
very fine white hairs, which being rubbed off, two white fpots 
appeared. The animals, when Angle, ran about pretty brifkly ^ 
but, in general, on opening the cells, they were fo numerous 
as to be crowded over one another. The fubftance of which the 
cells were formed cannot be better defcribed, with refped: to ap- 
pearance, than by faying it is like the tranfparent amber that 
beads are made of. The external covering of the cells may be 
about half a line thick, is remarkably ftrong, and able to refill 
injuries : the partitions are much thinner. The cells are in 
general irregular fquares, pentagons, and hexagons, about an 
* Lac, on this coaft, is always found upon the three following fpecies of Mi- 
mofa ; ift, a new fpecies, called by the Gentoos Conda corinda ; 2d, Mimofa 
glauca of Koenig ; and, 3 <ily, Mimofa einerea of Linnaeus. 
eighth 
