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Indian villages. The hives are extremely productive in the peninsula of Yucatan, especially in the environs of the port of Campeachy, which, in 1803, exported 582 arrobas of wax, for Vera Cruz. They reckon from 6 to 7 hundred hives in one colmenar. This wax of Yucatan is the produce of a bee peculiar to the New Continent, which is said to be destitute of a sting, no doubt because the sting is weak and not very sensible. From this circumstance in the Spanish colonies, the name of little angels (angelitos,) has been given to the bees described by M. M. Illiger, Jurine, and Latreille, under the name of Melipone and Trigone. I know not if the bee of Campeachy differs from the Melipona Fasciata, found by M. Bonpland on the eastern slope of the Cordilleleras.* It is certain that the wax of the American bees is more difficult to whiten, than the wax of the domestic bees of Europe. New Spain draws annually nearly 25,000 arrobas of wax from the Havannah, the value of which amounts to more than 2 millions of livres Tournoist. A very small part how

* See the insects collected in the course of our expedi tion, and described by M. Latreille in our Recueil d'ob servations de Zoologie et d'Anatomie Comparée, t. i, † 283,340 sterling. Trans.

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ever of this wax of the island of Cuba, is the produce of the wild Trigones which occupy the trunks of the Cedrela Odorata; the greatest part is procured from the bee of the north of Europe (Apis Mellifica,) the cultivation of which, has been very much on the increase since 1772. The island of Cuba exported in 1803, including the contraband, 42,670 arrobas of wax. The price of an arroba then, amounted to 20 or 21 piastres; but the mean price in time of peace, is only 15 piastres, or 75 livres Tournois.‡ In America, the neighbourhood of the sugar plantations is very prejudicial to the bees. These insects are so exceedingly greedy of honey, that they drown themselves in the juice of the cane, which puts them into a state of inaction and intoxication when they drink it to excess.

The rearing of the cochineal, (Grana Nochiztli,) is of great antiquity in New Spain; and it is probable that it goes beyond the incursions of the Toltec tribes. In the time of the dynasty of Aztec kings, the cochineal was more general than at present. There were nopaleries not only in Mixtecapan (la Misteca,) and in the province of Huaxyacac (Oaxaca), but also in the intendancy of Puebla, in

*£326 sterling. Trans,

the environs of Cholula and Huejotzingo. The vexations to which the natives were exposed in the beginning of the conquest, and the low price at which the encomenderos forced the cultivators to sell the cochineal, occasioned this branch of Indian industry to be every where neglected, excepting in the intendancy of Oaxaca. It is scarcely 40 years since the peninsula of Yucatan still possessed considerable nopaleries. In a single night, all the nopals, on which the cochineal lives, were cut down. The Indians pretend that the government took this violent resolution to raise the value of a commodity, of which they wished to secure the exclusive property to the inhabitants of Misteca. On the other hand, the whites maintain that the natives irritated and discontented with the price fixed by the merchants on the cochineal, came to a general understanding, to destroy at once, both the insect and the nopals.

The quantity of cochineal which the intendancy of Oaxaca, furnishes to Europe, may be estimated communibus annis including the three sorts, grana, granilla and polvos de grana, at 4000 zurrones or 32,000 arrobas, which, calculating the arroba at 75 double piastres, amounts to 2,400,000 piastres, or

12 millions of livres Tournois.*

The cochi

neal exported from Vera Cruz, was

In 1802, 46,964 arrobas or 3,368,557, p.
1803, 29,610 arrobas or 2,238,673 p.

It

But part of one harvest being frequently added to the harvest of the following year, we are not to judge of the progress of the cultivation, from the exportation alone. appears that in general the nopaleries increase very slowly in Misteca. In the intendancy of Guadalaxara, there is scarcely 800 arrobas of cochineal produced in a year. Raynalt estimates the whole exportation of New Spain at 4000 quintals, an estimate too low by one half. The East Indies have only begun to pour their cochineal into commerce, but the quantity is very inconsiderable. Captain Nelson carried off the insect from Rio Janeiro in 1793, and nopaleries have been established in the environs of Calcutta, Chittagong, and Madras. Much difficulty was experienced in procuring the species of cactus proper for the nourishment of the insect. We know not if this Brasilian cochineal transported to Asia, be the mealy species of Oaxaca, or if it be the cotton cochineal (grana silvestre).

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I shall not here repeat what Thiery de Menonville, and other naturalists after him have published on the cultivation of the nopal, and the rearing of the valuable insect which is maintained on it. M. Thiery has displayed as much sagacity in his researches, as courage in the execution of his projects. His observations on the cochineal introduced into St. Domingo, are certainly very accurate; but, ignorant of the language of the country, and afraid of exciting suspicion by a display of too great curiosity, he could only collect during his stay in the intendancy of Oaxaca, a very imperfect knowledge of the Mexican nopaleries. I had occasion to observe the wild cochineal in the kingdom of New Granada, Quito, Peru, and in Mexico, though I was not fortunate enough to see the fine cochineal; but having consulted persons who have lived long in the mountains of Misteca, and having had at command extracts from several manuscript memoirs, drawn up by order of the Count de Tessa, during my stay at Mexico, by alcaides and ecclesiastics of the bishoprick of Oaxaca, I flatter myself that I shall be able to communicate some useful information, respecting an insect which has become of the very first importance to European manufactures.

Is the mealy fine or Mistec cochineal (gra

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