CARMINE  , a pigment of a

bright red colour obtained from cochineal (q.v.) . It may be prepared by exhausting cochineal with boiling water and then treating the clear solution with alum, cream of tartar, stannous chloride, or acid oxalate of potassium; the colouring and animal matters present in the liquid are thus precipitated . Other methods are in use; sometimes white of egg, fish glue, or gelatine are added before the precipitation . The quality of carmine is affected by the temperature and the degree of illumination during its preparation—sunlight being requisite for the production of a brilliant hue . It differs also according to the amount of alumina present in it . It is some-times adulterated with cinnabar, starch and other materials; from these the carmine can be separated by dissolving it in ammonia . Good carmine should crumble readily between the fingers when dry . Chemically, carmine is a compound of car-mine acid with alumina, lime and some organic acid . Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, water-colours, rouge, cosmetics and crimson ink, and in the painting of minia-tures . " Carmine lake " is a pigment obtained by adding freshly precipitated alumina to decoction of cochineal .