A twelfth letter to Sir Joseph Banks ... on the subject of cochineal insects, discovered at Madras / [James Anderson].

  • Anderson, James, 1738-1809
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A twelfth letter to Sir Joseph Banks ... on the subject of cochineal insects, discovered at Madras / [James Anderson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ( 2 ) Father P’.H-nle^^ from the Sieur ch Lnet^ and his own obfervatlon, declared to the World In the Years 1692 and 1693, that Cochineal was an Oviparoia ini'edt, which was found on various Xrees in America, but that all kinds of Plants were not equally proper to fupply them v/it.h Ailment capable of producing a thorough Rednef?, and tnereforc tnc Inhabitants of thole Countries fed them on the Opunthim. with Red juices, and that the choice for Cultivating Cocnincal ought to be made of fucli, whole Fruit produces the bnePc P.ed juice. I'hc accounts ofFather P/?o;r’Vrcorrerponded with the general opinion,but nofeoner did he appear to ellabli.di a rational idea of the culture, than interefted Men foun.d it expedient to rnii rcpr..lent him in France, and declare the Cocidneal a Vegetable feed, of which i'oine pretended eifeuptions were given. The notion-s of Mankind rerpedling Cochineal feem to have been in this manner perplexed with a doubt of its Vegetable or Animal Nature, till the Great Lewenhoeck by tne iielp ol his Gl.iircs, difeovered the iix Legs of an Infedl in the dried Specimens which he examined. But it is a melancholy truth that a Paper faid to be written by a Cochine.d Meicliant of Amilcraam at this periM, found its w’ay into the rranfactions of the Roval Society of London, to excite the ■wonder where, or how. Inch a number of little Inlefls could be collected, which imprelied an opinion it was much more probable, the Cochineal Imported from Now Spain was a V egetable feed, than an Infedl, and the full belief of what tliey could not fee with their, own ayes, was rclerved by the World, for the demonllration of Progall Infecls by tiic iiliulrious Reaumur. Since his time the great improvements in Natural Kiftorv, approaching to an Anatomical defeription even of Infects, has turnifted us with fome of this Clals in feverai Coaiiti ies, which were like his Progall Infects Viviparous^ but the accounts of r'ather Pluviia\ the Coccus Adoni~ dim quoted by hinnevus^ from the memoirs of Geofrey-, the Fauna S-.uccica., and L;dcr,nuliey\^ with the account I have giv'ca of the Coccus Oogencs^ willferve to prove a variety in tiiis parti- cular. Fort St. George, I am with much Eltccm, Oct. 18th, 1787. Dear Sir, Your obedient Servants JAMES ANDERSON.