38 Dr. Roxburgh's Account of 
examine the tree, and, on discovering the small worms, they cut 
off branches of the tree sufficient for their purpose, with the 
young brood on the branches ; these they carry to convenient si- 
tuations near their houses, and distribute the branches on the 
Asseen tree in proportion to the size thereof, but they put none 
on the Byer tree. The Parieahs, or hill people, guard the insects 
night and day while in the worm state, to preserve them from 
crows and other birds by day, and from bats by night. 
" I myself have seen them thus watching the brood. This spe- 
cies cannot be confined, for so soon as the moth pierces the 
cocoon it gets away ; and the people add, that it is impossible to 
keep it, by any precaution whatever. 
3d. " To wind off these cocoons, they put them into a ley 
-made of plantain ashes and water, for about two hours, after 
which they take them out of the ley, and put them in their wet 
state into an earthen pot ; those which are properly softened are 
first applied to the reel, and so on, as the cocoons become soft, 
for four or five days, till the whole are wound off. 
" The implement used for taking off the thread is a small com- 
mon reel of four bars. The cocoons are laid in a smooth earthen 
dish, without water; the reel is turned by the right hand, whilst 
the thread of four or five cocoons passes over the left thigh of the 
spinner, and he gives the thread a twist with his left hand upon 
his thigh. The operation is this instant in my sight, with a thread 
of five cocoons, the produce of another species called Jarroo, and 
described below, but the reeling is exactly the same as that of the 
Bughy, and therefore one description answers for both. I must 
add, that the thread is exceedingly apt to come off double and 
treble for several yards together, which is not regarded by the 
natives, as breaking off double threails would diminish the pro- 
duce, 
