6 INSECTS NOXIOUS TO AGRICULTURE. 
name of “ mealy-bug,” which, although decidedly neither elegant 
nor euphonious, very fairly represents the character of that par- 
ticular portion of the family. 
The origin of the name “ Coccidide,” or, as abbreviated 
often in this volume, “ Coccids,”’ is found in the old Greek word 
“ KoKkkos,” denoting a vich red dye, which was much admired by 
the Greeks and Romans, and which was procured from the in- 
4ect now known as Kermes vermilio (the Coccus ilicis of Linneus) . 
When the cochineal insect was discovered in Mexico it soon 
overpowered all the others, producing commercial dyes, and from 
it has come the title “ Coccid,”’? now applied to the whole family. 
Cochineal itself has of late years been pushed aside to a great 
extent by the aniline (coal-tar) dyes; yet it is still used for 
many purposes. This insect lives on the leaves of cactus. 
Amongst the New Zealand species described in this work will be 
found one, Dactylopius alpinus, which produces a red dye similar 
to, though probably not equal to, cochineal. Before the dis- 
covery of aniline dyes it might possibly have been worth while 
to cultivate this insect for its dye; but this would scarcely 
answer now. 
The Coccididie are, in some parts of the world, very injurious 
to vegetation. They seem to affect principally the warmer 
temperate regions. California, Florida, the Cape of Good Hope, 
the southern parts of Australia, Southern France and Northern 
Italy, and New Zealand are countries in which they are found 
out-of-doors in the greatest numbers. In England they are less 
troublesome in the open air, though in greenhouses and hot- 
houses they abound ; but, in places under glass, every gardener 
ought to be able to get rid of them without difficulty. For its 
extent New Zealand seems to furnish a larger number than any 
other country. The humidity of its climate and the absence of 
anything like severe winters in most parts of it are quite con- 
genial to Coccids ; and there is scarcely a tree in its forests or 
m its gardens, whether native or introduced, which is not subject 
to their attacks. 
It has not been thought necessary to include in this work a 
list of the books and essays written on this family of insects. 
The hist would be a very long one; but, besides that many of 
the books would not be obtainable here, it would be found 
that very many authors have done nothing more than copy— 
often quite blindly and unintelligently—what others had said 
