CEA GEE: Ui 
PRODUCTS OF THE COCCIDID. 
[Waxy or cottony matter: the ‘“‘ honeydew” and the black fungus—‘ smut” or 
“ black blight ”’—growing upon it. ] 
Tur Coccididee, in some parts of the world, excrete various 
substances which are of commercial value, as, for example, 
shellac, “manna,” candle-wax, &c. Cochineal is not in the 
same category, as it appears to be a colouring-matter pervading 
every cell of the tissues of the insect from which it is extracted 
—Coccus cacti. But there is no need to dwell here upon the 
ordinary excretions of the New Zealand insects, as they appear to 
be not sufficient either in quantity or quality for any practical 
service. The fibrous puparia of the Diaspidine appear to 
be quite useless. The tests of the Lecano-diaspide, such as 
Ctenochiton perforatus, Inglisia ornata, &c., although more or less 
waxy (but of very brittle material, often more like glass) are 
much too insignificant to repay any trouble taken to collect 
them. Of all the family, Celostoma zelandicum, in its second 
stage, seems to produce the greatest amount of material, its 
large, hard, waxy tests being very thick and solid, and often 
clustered in hundreds on a root or a twig of Muhlenbeckia; but, 
supposing this substance (of which the true chemical nature* is 
not yet known) to be fit for some purpose, there does not seem 
to be any means of cultivating the insect to profit. Dactylopius 
alpinus produces in alcohol a rich red tint, and this not by 
way of excretion, but from the colourmg matters of its tissues, 
as in the case of Coccus cacti; but here, again, the rarity of the 
insect and its out-of-the-way habitat would be a bar, even if 
nowadays it were worth while to cultivate a New Zealand 
cochineal. At present, therefore, there seems no reason to 
*A small quantity was submitted to Mr. Skey, Colonial Museum Laboratory, 
for analysis, no more being available at the time. Mr. Skey considered it asa 
new substance, probably of the nature of a gum, not resinous; but further 
examination of larger quantities is necessary. 
