92 SILKWORMS. 



the pupa are in an extremely contracted condition. The silk is 

 strong and good, but difficult to reel. The caterpillar feeds on a 

 great number of trees in its native forests, but in Europe it has 

 been reared chiefly on sallow, barberry, plum, and apple. Speci- 

 mens of the cocoon and moth of this and other silk-producing 

 exotics may be seen at the proper season in the Insectarium at the 

 Zoological Gardens, London. 



A much smaller and less richly coloured, though similarly 

 shaped insect is Attacus ridni, the Eria or Arindi silkworm of 

 North-eastern India. It feeds commonly on the castor-oil plant, 

 though, like Atlas, it will also eat the leaves of several other 

 trees. The " windows " in the insect are as great a contrast to 

 those of the Atlas moth as could well be imagined ; they are 

 reduced to mere crescentic streaks. The wings are prettily 

 variegated with olive brown, pink, white, and black ; the body 

 carries some dainty tufts of snowy white, and the antennae are 

 most deeply fringed. In India the moth lays her eggs round a 

 twig, and these twigs are sold in the market covered with the eggs, 

 and frequently with the dead moths adhering to the twig, in the 

 position in which they expired after their maternal duties were 

 safely accomplished. The cocoon is very small, less even than 

 that of B. niori, though the moth is so much larger, and the silk is 

 difficult to reel. The insect, however, is easily reared, and several 

 broods are produced in the course of the year. The silk, again, 

 is very strong, and can be manufactured into exceedingly durable 

 fabrics : indeed, it has been said that the life of one person is 

 seldom sufficient to wear out a garment made of Eria silk, so that 

 the same piece descends from mother to daughter. For these 

 reasons, therefore, although the cocoon is so small, A. ricini is a 

 valuable insect. 



There is another insect, very much like the Eria Moth, which 

 feeds on the False Japan Varnish tree (Ailanthus glandulosd), and 

 is known in consequence as the Ailanthus Moth (Attacus Cynthia}. 

 This insect is a native of China. A cross between it and the Eria 

 Moth has been a good deal cultivated in Europe under the name 

 of the Ailanthus Moth. It was reared originally in France thirty 

 years ago, and was thence introduced into other parts, and 

 amongst them, into our own country, where it has been reared 

 extensively by Lady Dorothy Nevill at Petersfield, and by Dr. 

 Wallace at Colchester. The Ailanthus tree had been grown in 

 Europe almost a century before the insect was introduced, so 

 there was no difficulty as to the supply of food. The rearing of 

 this insect is commonly known as Ailanthiculture, and its silk is 

 sometimes called ailantine. 



