14 DR. H. F. HANCE ON CHINESE SILKWORM-OAKS. 
also, vegetation being in arrear, the silkworms are hatched 
later. 
* In the mountainous districts of Qweichow, and even in some 
parts of Szchuen, all the grubs are not killed, but a small quan- 
tity of the cocoons are kept, to raise at once a second crop. At 
low elevations, however, but one crop is raised, as a second would 
not repay the time and trouble of rearing, owing to the heats of 
July and August, which would prove fatal to the greater propor- 
tion of the worms. 
* On the higher mountains, where the nights are always cool, 
and the heat is tempered by the constant breezes, and where 
insect enemies are rare, the worms grow as vigorously as the 
first brood. The second crop is gathered about the lst Oc- 
tober. 
“The produce of these oak-worms, although inferior to that 
of the ordinary silkworm, is nevertheless very fine and very 
strong, and when woven yields a very pretty bright fabric. I be- 
lieve a great deal might be done with this silk in France, and that 
our Government is quite right in looking at the acclimatization 
of the oak-silkworm as a matter of considerable importance." 
The preceding extracts are suggestive in several respects. 
Thus I suppose that the somewhat obscure statement of the 
Chinese Cyclopedia as to the identity, except in size and bearing 
of fruit, of the Ts'ing-kang and Siang-li, may be elucidated by 
the information given to and recorded by Dr. M‘Cartee, that 
only young trees are used for rearing silkworms on, and by 
Pére Bertrand’s statement that, in Qweichow, young trees, or the 
new growths sent up from the stumps of felled ones, are alone 
employed for this purpose. This would show a great unifor- 
mity in one particular in very distant parts of China; and it is 
quite possible that, as with animals amongst our stock-breeders 
and fanciers at home, so here, one species of oak may, at different 
ages, and according to whether it is available or not for a special 
purpose, receive two distinct substantive names. Another point 
worthy of attention is the affinity of the several oaks employed 
(as far as these have been scientifically determined) to those of 
Europe and Western Asia. To this I have already adverted in 
my first paper, mentioned at the commencement of these notes ; 
and if, as I think likely, the oak here figured is the Fu-li (sup- 
posed to be identical with Q. robur by Father Bertrand), there 
