COCHINEAL.

35 *

the fine season, when the insedts are brought to the nopal plantations again,placed in moss. This operation takes place in the plains during the month ofAugust, and during November on the table-lands. A moderately warmclimate is best suited for the inserts, which soon after having been placed inthe plantations deposit their young brood by thousands in the shape ofgranules the size of small pins’ heads. The young spread over the nopalplant, and fix themselves thereon with their suckers. After the lapse of somethree or four months a first gathering of the Coccus takes place, just beforethe females begin to deposit their eggs, and when a few young inserts are tobe seen on the plants; the inserts are gathered either in baskets made ofstraw, or, better, in basins of tinned iron, and provided with a contrivancesuitable for embracing or enclosing the articulations of the plant, while theinsedts are removed from the leaves by means of a soft brush. A number offemales are left on each plant for breeding purposes, and thus a new genera-tion is produced, which is again gathered before the rainy season sets in.This second gathering is effedied by means of scraping off from the surface ofthe leaves of the cadtus the insedts with a blunt knife ; the effedt is, that notonly the full grown, but also only half developed insedts are removed, and aprodudt obtained which, under the name of granilla, is less esteemed in com-merce. The insedts are killed by being immersed in boiling water for amoment, and are next dried either in the sun or in ovens expressly arrangedfor this purpose. By this treatment the peculiar white down which covers theinsedt is lost, and its red-brown colour becomes apparent. Such kind ofcochineal is known as Renegrida. Very frequently the insedts are enclosed ina linen bag and killed by being placed in an oven. In this case the naturalgrey colour is preserved, and the cochineal thus treated is known as jfasfeada .The best mode of killing the insedts is to expose them for a few moments tothe vapours of boiling water. In Mexico the insedts are dried on the ironplates used for baking maize cakes, an operation which imparts to the insedtsa blackish colour, and hence it is known as Negra. The female insedts whichdie after having laid their eggs lose more weight on drying than the femaleswhich are killed while with young. 4 kilos, of the first kind and 3 kilos, ofthe latter kind yield 1 kilo, of dry cochineal, x hedtare (2-471 English acre)produces about 300 kilos, of cochineal with the labour of three men ; 140,000insedts produce 1 kilo, of dry cochineal.

Dried cochineal exhibits an orbicular shape ; its colour is blackish, reddish,or grey; its diameter varies from 2*05 to 3 millimetres. If a few grains aresteeped in tepid water they swell up, assume an hemispherical shape, whilethen, also, the peculiar form of the insedt becomes distinguishable, so that thebody, head, the articulations where the feet are inserted, and the sucker arereadily visible. When the insedt thus swollen up is pressed it bursts, emittingthousands of very small deep red-coloured granules, presenting the appearance°f eggs, but viewed under the microscope these granules are recognised asfully developed young brood. The Mesteque cochineal is white, covered by araealy powder, while the wild cochineal is smaller sized and enveloped with adowny wool-like substance, which prevents the articulations and shape of theinsedt from being seen. Notwithstanding all these fadts, which prove theanimal nature of cochineal, it was for a long time considered of vegetable origin.

In the year 1592, Lopez de Gomara, and, exadtly a century later, Plumier,