Coccus. INSECTS. Lecanium coffeas. 271 
antennseless, and in which even all appearance of annu- 
brighter in leaf and foliage than the stiff shrub known so 
lose structure is lost, the creature, in fact, becoming an 
well in every garden and hedgerow by that name. Mr. 
inert mass of animal matter; a slender seta arising from 
Fortune, however — a good authority — says that it feeds 
the breast, and thrust into the stem or leaf on which 
on a species of ash. It is chiefly found in the province 
the animal is fixed, being the only external appendage 
of Sze-tchuen, where the crude material is deposited 
to the body.” The most famed member of the family 
by the insects around the branches of the tree on which 
is, however, the Cochineal {Coccus cacti, the male is 
they feed, and resembles a white, soft, fibrous, velvety 
shown in Plate 8, fig. 13), which received its specific 
coating of from one to two- tenths of an inch in thickness. 
name from the Mexican Cactus cochinilifer, or Opuntia 
The late George Newport says — “ So complete have 
cocMnilifera of moderns, being its food plant. 
been the ravages of the Coccus of the orange trees, that 
The Cochineal, when first imported, was believed 
one of the Azores, the Island of Fayal, lost its entire pro- 
to be the seed of a plant. The insects are brushed off 
duce from this cause alone. The usual exportation of fruit 
the plant with a squirrel’s tail and killed by immer- 
from Fayal has been twelve thousand chests annually. 
sion in hot water, and afterwards dried in the sun or by 
but in 1843 not a single chest was exported. This injury 
the heat of a stove, as alluded to above. There are 
has already extended to St. Michael’s, and is still con- 
three harvests a year ; the first is the best, as the 
tinning; and the inhabitants of the whole of that group 
impregnated females alone are taken ; the young 
of volcanic islands, depending almost entirely on the 
females are also collected in the second harvest ; and 
produce of their orange groves, and despairing of re- 
the third harvest is inferior to the other two, as old and 
trieving their prospects, are fast turning their attention 
young females, and skins, are collected indiscriminately. 
to the cultivation of other objects of commerce. This 
Before the rainy season commences the Mexicans cut 
amount of injury to a whole population by a diminutive 
off branches of the Nopal, loaded with infant insects. 
and apparently contemptible insect, has been the result 
which they preserve in their houses; otherwise the 
of but three years. The effects of this insect on a single 
insects would perish in the inclement weather. The 
article of luxury may fairly be adduced to show that 
island of Teneriffe annually produces several thousand 
entomological inquiries are deserving of full attention. 
bags of cochineal. The editor of the last edition of 
The orange trade between this country and the Azores 
Pereira* informs us that in January, 1857, there 
gives employment to upwards of two hundred sail of 
were four thousand eight hundred and ninety-one bags 
vessels ; and, as I am credibly informed, the orange 
of Honduras cochineal in our warehouses, five hundred 
trade alone returns to the revenue of this country an 
and sixty-seven Mexican, and one thousand four 
import-duty of more than £50,000 per year. 
hundred and one of Teneriffe. To give some idea of 
Coccus Sinensis.— M r. Westwood has applied this 
the importance of cochineal as an article of commerce. 
name to the insect which produces the white insect- wax 
the reader may be pleased to know that in the year 
of China, an important article very much used by the 
1852 the imports and exports of it were respectively 
Chinese in the manufacture of candles ; as much as 
twenty-two thousand and forty-two, and eight thousand 
400,000 lbs. are believed to be annually used. 
nine hundred and sixty-four hundredweight. There 
The Bark-louse of the apple tree {Aspidiotus con- 
were also imported in that year fifteen hundredweight 
diiformis) frequently does much damage to the orchard. 
of granilla, a finer kind, and two hundred and seventy- 
It has the form of a minute scale, resembling a mussel 
one hundredweight of the dust. 
or oyster shell in shape, and hence its specific name 
Great quantities of cochineal are annually imported 
Conchiformis. This insect adheres close to the bark. 
into France from Algeria. There are great nurseries 
and is found often in prodigious numbers. 
there of the peculiar cactus on which the insects feed ; 
Porpliyrophora. — Before the discovery of America, 
and in one year, 1839, M. Guerin-Meneville tells us 
cochineal was obtained in considerable quantities from 
that three hundred and four thousand nine hundred and 
Poland. This cochineal was the dried bodies of tbe 
ninety-one kilogrammes were imported into France. 
female of another species of the family Coccidse, which 
The Algerine production is not, however, so valuable 
derives its specific name from the country whence it 
as the Mexican, though the colouring matter is nearly 
was exported {Porphyrophora polonica). The female 
as pure and strong. The Spaniards have introduced 
is roundish, about the size of a cherry .stone, and fur- 
the cochineal into the Canaries, and the Dutch into 
nished with short legs ; she is quite soft, and of a dark 
Java, with excellent results to their exchequers. 
amaranth colour throughout. When dried, the insects 
In Teneriffe it is on the Opuntia tuna that the 
shrivel up into a small size, and are covered with a 
Coccus feeds. The plant is abundant in Madeira, 
bluish mould. The true scarlet colour is produced by 
where, according to Mr. Johnson, it gives a peculiar 
infusion, with the addition of acids ; while the purple 
feature to the rocky parts of the landscape. This 
is produced by a solution of potash. 
writer informs us that the merchants of Funchal are 
Lecanium Coffeai. — This creature does not seem 
beginning to turn their attention to the cultivation of 
to have attracted attention till about 1845, when it 
the cochineal insect, in the hope of its ultimately 
began to spread with such rapidity that, in 1847, the 
becoming a remunerative substitute for the vine. 
planters became alarmed. It is curious that it was 
The Pe-la, or insect which produces the insect-wax 
about the same period that the potato, vine, and olive 
of China, is a species of Coccus {Coccus Sinensis), which 
began to be affected by disease in Europe. This scaly 
was believed to feed on a kind of privet, somewhat 
bug seeks out the softest and most sheltered parts of 
*‘The Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, by 
the coffee tree, such as the young shoots, the under- 
Jonathan Pereira, M.D., vol. ii., part 2, p.760: fourth ed., 1857. 
sides of the leaves, and the clusters of berries. 
