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wards into Spain, and other European countries, The filk however that was gathered in Europe was not in fuch quanity as to fuperfede the importation of that from Perfia. Befides much time would neceffarily be wanting to bring the manufacture of it to a proper degree of perfection. The ftuffs fabricated were of two kinds; the firit were wholly filk: thefe were fo precious and dear, that the Emperors alone were in poffeffion of them. Now-a-days things have totally changed, and they are become fo common that every body has them. The fecond fort confiited of two different threads, the warp was filk. the woof of fome other fubftance. Polydor Virgil gives this the name of fatin of Bruges.

Some inventive geniuses have endeavoured to draw from the threads of fpiders, a fubftance fimilar to thofe of the filk worm. This was attempted by Mr Ben, first Prefident at Montpellier. He carried the attempt so far, as to make a fuit which he prefented to Louis XIV. The thing well deferves to be throughly inveftigated. If it could fucceed, clothes might be made which would prevent the money u. fually exported in the purchale of filk.

What I have juft faid fhews that infects contribute to wealth and to the advancement of commerce. The merchandize of filk-ftuffs occafioned for a long time the export of vaft fums from France, Germaау, and other countries, to Italy and the Levant. Things began to wear a different face in France in 1494 under the reign of Charles VIII. The French imported white mulberies from Naples, planted many, fed filk worms, and made filk. Henry IV. encouraged these manufactures, and Louis XIV. brought them to the highest degree of perfection, in confequence of feveral grants. The Germans were the laft to think of the vaft profits which might accrue

from

from that traffic. It is true, that about the year 1599, Andreas Libarius, a learned Phyfician and Philofopher, made various experiments on the subject, at Rothenburg on the Tauber. But his efforts were attended with but little fuccefs till several Prin ces and men of rank interfered in the business. John Philip, Elector of Mentz, was the firft, if I am not mistaken, who laid the affair to heart. This Prince caufed many mulberries to be planted, and filk worms to be reared at Hockheim and at Wurtzburg in Franconia. He gave annual premiums to the children of fuch peafants as had collected the greateft quantities of filk. Frederick, Duke of Wura temberg Neuftadt made a fimilar establishment at his refidence. Prince Charles of Lichtenftein imitated his example: He planted mulberries at Feldfberg, where fo many filk worms were reared as yielded a confiderable yearly profit. Daniel Kraft, an inquifitive and diligent man, made himself famous for his fuccefs in managing thofe infects; and it is to him that the city of Drefden owes its filk manufacture. But no perfon in Germany was fo earnest in the bufinefs as the Court of Berlin. Frederick I. planted many mulberry trees at Potfdam, Kopenick, Spandau, and other places, where great quanti. ties of filk worms were reared, and a manufacture established, the direction of which was at firft entrusted to certain individuals, but afterwards to the Academy of Sciences at Berlin. Frederick William followed the footsteps of his father with an ardour and zeal truly laudable. For this purpose he ordered large plantations of mulberries, and encouraged his fubjects by rewards to make them. He likewife eflablished a manufacture of ribbands at Charlottenburg, for the maintenance of which certain merchants advanced confiderable fums.

of theirs, they even make paper, but it is fo fine and thin, that it bears the ink only on one fide.

The traffic in bees and in the wax and honey which they make is very confiderable. It is well known that bees are fold in hives. If no accident happens to them, they multiply so fast that each hive generally produces two fwarms a year. These are two colo nies fent forth to people two new hives. Suppofe a man fhould purchase these two fwarms at two florins for the first, and one florin for the fecond, the following year, if things fucceeded well, each hive would give him two fwarms which might be fold for double of what he originally gave, while he still preserved the first two hives. If one fhould calculate how many fwarms would be produced from the two original hives in a few years, one would fee what profit may arife from thefe little animals. I pafs over in filence the honey and wax which the hives would af-ford at the fame time, though likewife very profitable

In the countries where locufts are eaten, they are carried regularly to market, and fold as birds are with us.

There are infects likewife which furnish the most beautiful colours. Such is the Cochineal (Cocrus Cacti) which Dyers use for dying red. The Cochineal is a small worm which Mr Edward Tyfon thinks is a fpecies of Scarabæus. It is of the fize of a lentil, and fomething like a bug in fhape. Internally it is of a scarlet red colour; it paffes though its transformations very flowly. It abounds in New Spain, where it is found on every tree. The Indians gather them and put them under a fort of fig of that country, the fruit of which is full of a red coloured juice. This plant is called Kumbeba, or Tuna, and in Latin is known under the name of the O

puntia fpinofa fructu fanguineo, (Cactus Opuntia.) Thefe worms fuck the fine red fruit of this tree, and acquire its colour. When thefe infects have attained their natural size, the Indians make a smoke to windward of the tree, and fpread a linen cloth below it covered with quick-lime. When the animals are stupified with imoke, the tree is fhaken to make them fall on the quick lime which inftantly kills them. They are then dried in the Sun and kept for fale.

There is found both in Poland and Germany an infect (Coccus Polonicus) which yields a very fine carmine colour. This infect attaches itfelf to the plant called in Latin, Polygonum minus cocciferum, (Scleranthus perennis.) There hang from its roots tittle veficles, red internally, called by the vulgar St John's blood. When the root and veficles of this plant are exposed to the Sun, there come out little flies which may be confidered as belonging to the genus of ichneumon. They have white wings, and at the hinder part they have two beards of the fame colour clofely joined together. All the reft of the body of the infect refembles carmine, and accordingly it is from this animal we procure it.

are in

It is to an infect likewife that we debted for the fineft crimfon colour. This little animal (Coccus ilicis) is found in fmall round veficles, of the fize of a pea, which grow on the leaves of the Ilex aculeata cocci glandifera (Quercus Ilex.) It is a fpecies of very hard oak, which the celebrated Mr Rohr calls the fcarlet oak. The veficles are gathered before they open, and to prevent the little flies from getting away, thefe veficles are fprinkled with vinegar. Thefe trees are found chiefly in Spain; bnt they are faid to grow likewife in England and in different parts of Germany; as in

the

the Province of Bareith in Silefia and in the forefts of Saxony. It would be worth while to investigate the matter, and to examine at the fame time the feafon in which thefe veffels are filled with flies. A greater number of these trees might then be cultivated, the infects gathered, and we might find at home,' at little expence, what we fend fo far, and pay fo high to obtain. The peafant and his mafter would then be equally benefited, the one by felling the infects he had gathered, the other by the tax which might be laid on the traffic.

Befides the two kinds of plants, on which thefe infects are found, diligent Naturalifts have difcovered others, with red veffels at their roots. Undoubtedly thefe would likewife produce a red colour, like the others. It needs only to be tried by experiment, whether their cultivation would be worth the while.

I add, in order to finish this article, that there is á fort of Bees in the Indies, confidered by fome as winged ants, which are likewife of great ufe in dying. They make a fort of wax, called gum lac, which is ufed in dying red.

The wax made by bees has feveral uses, which ought not to be paffed over in filence. The antients wrote upon it. They made little plates of wood, like the leaves of our pocket-books, with a raised border all round, to prevent the wax from running off. Melted wax was then fpread on thefe plates, and made fmooth, fo that they wrote upon it with a point, nearly in the fame manner as our engravers write on copper. A few years ago I faw an antiqui. ty of this kind, in the town-houfe of Arnstad. These tablets are no longer in ufe, both because what was written could be eafily effaced and because paper is fo much more fit for the purpose. I fhall fay

nothing