1910

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III

young, possesses locomotive powers, yet, after impregnation, it greatly increasesin size, and the eggs are deposited beneath the body; so that, by degrees, as theeggs are excluded, the two surfaces of the body come together, and form acovering for the eggs: hence, it will be observed that it is only the femaleswhich are collected; the males, in the perfect state, being minute, active, two-winged flies, totally unlike their inert partners. This production has beenin use amongst the Eastern nations from the earliest ages. It was knownto the Phoenicians, before the time of Moses, under the name of tola, orthola (y^n); to the Greeks, under that of coccus (kokkoc) ; and, to theRomans, under that of coccum, or coccus baphica; whence the origin of theterms coccus and coccinum, which were given to cloth dyed with kermes;whilst persons wearing this kind of cloth were said by the Romans to becoccinati ( Mart ., lib. i. epig. 97. lin. 6.) From the peculiar character ofthis production, it is not surprising, that its real nature was long unknown.By some of the early naturalists, it was regarded as the fruit of the tree uponwhich it was found; and by others, who discovered the real organs of fructifi-cation of the tree, that it was a vegetable excrescence similar in its nature tothe galls caused by the punctures of the Cynlpidae. This opinion was main-tained even in 1711, by M. De Marsigli, in a dissertation written at Bologna,and addressed to M. Vallisnieri. In 1714, however, M. Cestoni addressed aletter to the same philosopher, in which he clearly traced the identity of thenature of the kermes, and that of the scale insects of the orange and othertrees. This letter is printed in the collection of the works of Vallisnieri,with a short preface by the latter, who appears to have hesitated in adoptingthe opinion of M. Cestoni. Very shortly afterwards, however, the entirehistory of the insect was traced by Messrs. Garidel and Emeric, correspond-ents of the Academy of Paris; who, prompted by M. Tournefort, bydaily examinations of branches infected with the kermes, made themselvesfully acquainted with its history, and proved it to be a species of Coccus.(Garid. Aix. Env., 260., t. 53. and 2.) Reaumur has also given a full accountof it in his Memoires, tom. iv. mem. 1. pi. 5. In its natural state, thekermes is of a shining appearance, and of the colour of a plum covered witha whitish bloom. In the state in which it is brought into the market, itappears of a dull reddish brown; which is not, of course, the natural colourof good kermes, but is imparted to it by steeping it in vinegar. The inha-bitants of the countries where the kermes is obtained, distinguish threedifferent stages in its existence. In the Provencal language, they call it“ le ver,” and say of it, when it is in its earliest state of activity, “ Le vercouve;” subsequently, in the month of April, when the kermes becomesstationary, and begins to attain its fullest size, they say, “ Le ver commenced’eclore; ” and, in its last state, in the middle or towards the end of May, theinsect is found reduced to a skin, covering its brood of eggs, to the number of1800 or 2000. The crop of kermes is more or less abundant, according tothe state of the preceding winter; when, therefore, there has been no frost,and the weather has been generally mild, a good crop is expected, which is notobtained every year; and, as there is no trouble in planting or attending tothe growth of the kermes, and as no other instruments are required than longnails to the fingers, it may be easily supposed that the harvest is a very unex-pensive one. Females are employed in collecting the kermes in the morning,before the dew is off the ground; at which time the leaves and the prickles ofthe plants are less to be dreaded. Experienced persons will thus collect acouple of pounds’ weight per diem. Belon ( Observations des Singulanles, liv. i.p. 19.) has given considerable details respecting the gathering of the crops ofkermes; and states that the price decreases considerably during the gather-ing, in consequence of the latest-collected kermes being lighter than thosefirst obtained, owing to the young ones having escaped. The merchants whopurchase the kermes immediately steep them in vinegar, and then exposethem to the action of heat sufficient to destroy any remaining vitality inthe young: this process considerably alters the colour of the insect, and