The Hijlory ^ANIMALS, 
67 
Coccus rcidicum purpureus. 
The purple Coccus of the roots of plants. 
This fpecies, when full grown, is of the bignefs of a fmall pepper-corn, or there¬ 
about : it’s figure is roundifh 3 there is little appearance of limbs, or indeed of the form 
of an animal: It flicks firmly to the root of the plant on which it feeds, and it’s colour 
is a deep purple, with fo much of the blue in it, that it approaches to a violet tint, and 
it has round about it, at the bafe, a rough cup, as it were, in fome degree, refembling 
the cup of an acorn. Such is the flate in which it is gathered for ufe, and in this 
flate there are found fometimes three or four of them on the fame root, fometimes 
only one. From thefe round forms, which appear excrefcences on the root, there after¬ 
wards are produced a great number of young 3 thefe have all the regular appearances of 
animals, though the parent wants almofl all of them : they are fmall, oblong, and fome- 
what flatted 3 their bodies are formed of feveral fegments, and they have fix legs, which 
are fhort and flender, and a pair of fine antennae5 their colour is purple, but a lefs 
deep tint than in the parent: When thefe have grown to their full fize, they fix them- 
felves to the root of the plant, and, forming that cup about them, they never remove af¬ 
terwards, but become diftended with a numerous progeny, and die, leaving the young 
brood under the cafe they at that time form with their own fkin: this is the condition of 
the females : the male of the fame fpecies is a fmall two-winged fly, which is feen 
impregnating the females, and could by no other means be difcovercd to be of the 
fame fpecies. 
This Infed is frequent in Poland, and in fome other of the northern countries. It 
is moft frequently found adhering to the roots of the plant, thence called, by C. Bau- 
hine. Polygonum cocciferum 3 and, by Tournefort, Alchemilla gramineo folio flore ma- 
jore. I have met with it in England, at the roots of the common Potentilla, or Ar¬ 
gentina 3 and it has been found at the roots of other plants. It makes an excellent 
fcarlet dye. 
Coccus Tuncz. 
The Coccus of the Tuna . 
The Cochineal, though fo long known in Europe, has been, till of late, miflook ex- 
treamly in it’s nature 3 it was long taken for a vegetable produdion3 a feed, or an ex- 
crefcence of a plant, and, when it afterwards was acknowledged to be an animal, it was 
generally faid to be of the beetle kind, and very like our lady-cow. We owe the true 
knowledge of what it is, in a great meafure, to a number of atteftations given upon 
oath on the fpot where it is produced, and by perfons concerned in the management of 
it, who obferved it very ftridly, that they might do juflice in the deciding a wager 
between two mercantile people on the fubjed. By this accidental method, the Euro¬ 
pean naturalifls became informed of a thing they would otherwife have perhaps con¬ 
tinued long in the dark about3 and learnt, that the Cochineal we ufe, is the female of 
an Infed, the male of which is a fly, but this female a reptile without wings, living 
on the Tuna or Opuntia, the Indian fig, on the juices of which it feeds. 
The female, which we know under the name of Coccinella and Cochineal, is, while 
living, a little Infed of an oblong form, rounded on the back, and flat on the belly, of 
a mixt colour of purple and grey, and, when crufhed, it yields a rich purple juice. It’s 
body is compofed of feveral rings or joints; it’s head is fmall 3 it’s eyes are little and 
black 3 it’s legs are fix in number, they are fhort and flender, and are of a pale flefh- 
colour 3 it’s antennae are Ibort and flender, and of the fame pale red: It never leaves the 
plant it feeds on, but produces it’s young ones on it, and dies : the male is a little fly, 
with flender antennae, long legs, an oblong body, and white large wings, fomewhat 
refembling thofe of our butter-flies, not transparent as in the common fly. 
It is frequent wild in Mexico, and fome other parts of South America ; but the peo¬ 
ple of Mexico, in particular, find it fo very advantageous an article of commerce, that 
they make plantations of the Tuna, on purpofe for the railing it, where they regularly 
breed and manage their crops: vafl: quantities are annually imported into Europe, and 
are ufed in dying and in medicine. 
Cochineal. 
2 
Coccus 
