in zoology, a genus belonging to the order of hemiptera. The rostrum proceeds from the breast; the belly is bristly behind; the wings of the male are erect; and the female has no wings. The species are 22, denominated principally from the plants they frequent.

Coccus Maldivia, the Maldivia nut, in the materia medica; the name of the fruit of the palma Maldiviensis of Johnston; an oval-figured fruit of a sweet taste, and famous for its virtues in nervous disorders.

Coccus Polonicus, an insect which may properly enough be called the cochineal of the northern part of the world. As the cochineal loves only the hot climates, this creature affects only the cold ones. It is collected for the use of dyers; but the crops of it are much smaller, more difficultly made, and the drug itself greatly inferior to the true cochineal. It is commonly known by the name of cocceus Polonicus, or the scarlet grain of Poland. That country is indeed the place where it is gathered in the greatest abundance; but it is not the only one where it is found. It is to be met with in many of the northern countries; and possibly may be found in some of the more temperate ones, where it is not yet known; as it is very much hid by nature from the eyes of common observers. It is found affixed to the root of a plant, and usually to plants of that species, from thence called polygonum cocceiflorum: though authors have informed us of the same berry, as it is often called, being found at the roots of the mouse-ear, rupture-wort, pimpernel, and pellitory of the wall; and that it is in no other than sandy places that it is found at the roots of those plants. Breyneus in 1731, printed at Dantzig a very curious account of this production, which proves it incontrovertibly to be an animal. Towards the end of June the coccus is in a fit state for being gathered. Every one of the creatures is then nearly of a spherical form, and of a fine violet colour. Some of them, however, are not larger than poppy seeds, and others of the size of a pepper-corn; and each of them is lodged, either in part or entirely, in a sort of cup like that of an acorn. More than half the surface of the body of the animal is covered by this cup. The outside of the covering is rough, and of a blackish brown; but the inside is smooth, polished, and shining. On some plants they find only one or two of these, and on others more than forty; and they are sometimes placed near the origin of the stalks of the plants.

Breyneus began his observations on the animals in this state, several of them being put into vessels of glass; and by the 24th of July, there was produced from every one of them a hexapod, or six-legged worm, with two antennae on its head. Several of these were kept a fortnight, and shewed no inclination to eat anything. They run about, however, very swiftly for some time; but then began to be more quiet, drew up their bodies shorter, and ceased to run about any longer. They were now in a purple colour; but in this state, though they did not walk about, they were subject to various contortions. At length, when they were become wholly motionless, their bodies became covered with a fine down; this was white, and formed them a perfect covering, which was sometimes of a spherical, and sometimes of an irregular figure: it was always, however, very elegant; and the downy matter plainly enough transpired out of the animal's body. The creatures remained in this state of rest, and covered with this down, for five or six days; but at the end of that time every one of them laid more than 150 eggs. These eggs were deposited upon the paper on which the animals were placed, and were enveloped in some measure by a downy matter. When the creatures had laid all their eggs they died; and about the 24th of August there came from every egg a small insect, which to the eye scarce seemed any other than a red point; it might, however, be observed very plainly to move about. These young animals lived about a month, wholly without sustenance. Mr. Breyneus was induced at first to believe, that these animals came to be in a state to produce perfect eggs, without any congress with the male; but farther observations convinced him of the error of this opinion. He saw afterwards a sort of very small flies with two white wings bordered with red, produced from several of the cocci. These flies are plainly of the same kind with the male gall-insects.

It has before been observed, that these cocci differ in size. The flies are produced by the small ones not bigger than a poppy seed; the others give the worms before described: and one observation of Mr. Breyneus's gives a plain proof that these flies are the male insects of the species; since all those of the females, which had been a day or two accompanied by those flies, quickly covered themselves with down and began to lay their eggs; whereas those which had not this commerce with the flies remained in the same state, or else got only a very thin and slight covering of down, and never laid any eggs. The manner of this creature's life, however, from its being hatched, to its being found in the shape of a berry at the roots of the plants, is yet unknown: and how they assume the shape of a ball lodged in a cup, must require a nice observation to discover.

COCYGEUS MUSCULUS. See ANATOMY, Table of the muscles.

COCYX, or Coccygis os. See ANATOMY, n°34.