“The cocus cacti is so called because it feeds on a certain kind of cactus, which has to be cultivated as the food of the insect. The production of cochineal was carried on in Mexico, which is the country of the cactus, long before it was known to Cortes or any other European. Only the female insect is used in the manufacture of the color. The male has wings, but the female has none.”
“That’s so that they cannot go gadding about,” added Scott.
“Very likely; for the female fastens herself to a plant; and this branch is cut off with the creature upon it. The laborer forms a sort of soft nest on the cochineal plant; and, when the mother has been placed on it, she lays her eggs. The young when hatched spread themselves over the plant, feeding upon it, till they are in condition for use. As the insect produces several crops of eggs in a year, the young are soon ready to lay eggs; but they must be killed before they are in condition to do this, or it would injure the quality of the cochineal. The branch on which the insects are gathered is cut, and plunged into boiling water, in order to kill them. They are then collected and dried; and in this condition it takes seventy thousand of them to make a pound of cochineal.”
“Then it is the corpses of these bugs that is used to put the red streak into a stick of peppermint candy,” added Scott.
“Such is the fact; and it may cure you of the tendency to eat candy.”
“I think not, sir; for I can stand it if the corpses can,” answered Scott.
“We will walk up into the town,” continued the doctor, leading the way.
“The houses are very pretty,” said Sheridan, as he noticed the extreme whiteness of all the buildings.
“They are built of stone, and whitewashed.”
“Just as they serve erring office-holders at home.”