on a Wax-like Substance from Madras. 385 
the true cochineal insect tell us, that the females when nearly 
perfect are covered thickly with a white down, or meal, which 
protects them from the sun and rain, and the attacks of certain 
insects who are their enemies. It is probable that this sub- 
stance is of the same nature as the p6-la, and that the secre- 
tion of wax in more or less quantity is common to the genus 
of coccus. It is observable, moreover, that the insect which 
produces lac, a substance resembling wax, provides itself also 
with a sweet fluid resembling honey. Hence a striking ana- 
logy between these three animals is observable; and it is far 
from improbable that future naturalists may discover them to 
be species of the same genus ; and find the means of making 
the beautiful red colour produced by the lac insect as useful in 
dying as that of the true cochineal. 
11. Sensible, and some other Properties of white Lac. 
A piece of white lac, which weighs from about three to fif- 
teen grains, is probably produced by each insect. These pieces 
are of a grey colour, opaque, rough, and roundish ; of about 
the size of a pea, but with a flat side,, by which they adhere 
to the bark. In this flat side there is a fissure which contains 
a little black matter, the exuvice of the insect. 
White lac, in its dry state, has a saltish and bitterish taste, 
and in the mouth is soft and tough. It appears however from 
Mr. Anderson’s letter, that the taste of this substance re- 
cently produced is “ delicious;” so that it is difficult to pre- 
vent the children and other persons employed to gather it 
from eating it. 
On pressing a piece of this substance between the fingers, a 
mdccxciv. 3 D 
