28 INDEX TO MISSOURI ENTOMOLOGICAL REPORTS. 



BENEFICIAL INSECTS. 



Page. 



Silkworms 72 



INTRODUCTORY 72 



The Morns multicaulis fever and its reaction, 72 Increasing attention 

 lately given to silk-culture in America, 72 North America well adapted 

 to the raising of silk, 73 General outlines of the natural history of 

 the eight species of Silkworms treated of in this Report, 74. 

 THE MULUERRY SILKWORM 75 



Its past history, 75 Earliest silk-culture in China and India, 75 Its 

 introduction into Europe, 76 Value of silk produced in France, 76' 

 The "Silk Supply Association" in England and its objects, 76 

 Countries exporting raw silk, 77 The name given to silk by different 

 nations, 77 History of the Mulberry Silkworm in America, 77 Its 

 introduction and failure of earlier efforts, 77 Renewal of silk-culture 

 within the past decade, 77 Silk manufacture in the United States, 



78 Favorable prospects for raising silk in this country, 78 Silk- 

 growing iu California, 79 Mr. Prevost's "California Silk-grower's 

 Manual," 79 False statements and exaggerations in Prevost's book, 



79 Sale of Califoruiau Silkworm eggs, 80 Disastrous effect of the 

 Franco-Prussian war on the egg trade, 81 Success of silk-culture in 

 California dependent on the ability to reel the silk, 81 Silk-culture in 

 Kansas, 82 Mons. Boissiere's silk establishment and its chances of 

 success, 82 Silk-growing iu Missouri, 83 The fall season in Missouri 

 eminently propitious for rearing silkworms, 84 Natural history of the 

 Silkworm, 84 Races of the Silkworm produced by domestication, 84 

 Effects produced on the insect by domestication, 85 The egg, 86 

 Larva and larval changes, 86 Cocoon, chrysalis and moth, 87 No 

 insect parasite of the silkworm in Europe, 87 The "Uji" disease in 

 China and Japan, 87 Diseases of the Silkworm, 88; The Muscardine, 

 its effect and cause, 88; The Ptbrine disease, its symptoms and cause, 

 89; Nature and origin of these diseases, 90 Other diseases of the 

 Silkworm, 91 Best varieties or races, 90 1 Di ff'erent forms of cocoons 

 produced by different races, 92 How best to rear silkworms, 92 

 Rearing a very simple process, 92 Character of climate of the Japanese 

 eilk districts, 93 Keeping the eggs duriug the winter, 93 Hatching 

 of the eggs, 93 Room and building for the rearing of the worms, 93 

 The feeding net or fillet, 94 Importance of carrying all the worms 

 simultaneously through their moults, 94 Regularity of feeding, 95 

 Regulating the temperature, 95 Cocoonery, 96 Choking the chrysa- 

 lis, 96 Egg-laying, 97 Selecting and fastening the cocoons for breed- 

 ing purposes, 97 Treatment of the female moths after copulation, 97- 

 Preservation of the eggs, 97 Reeling, 98 Great skill required to ac- 

 complish the work properly, 98 Classification of raw silk, 93 Pre- 

 paring the cocoons for reeling, 98 Objects of and manipulations iu 

 reeling, 99 Best food for the worms, 100 Varieties of the Mulberry, 



. 100 Cultivation of the Mulberry, 100 Osage Orange as silkworm 

 food, 100 Introduction of the Osage Orange into France, 100 Ex- 

 periments in America with feeding silkworms on Osage Orange, 101- 

 Advantages and disadvantages of the Osage Orange, 102. 



THE CECROPIA SILKWORM 103 



Changes made in its scientific generic name, 103 General appearance of 

 the moth, 103 Fitch's explanation of the specific name, 104 Food 

 plants, 104 The cocoon, 104 Value of its cocoon as compared with 

 that of the Polyphemus moth, 105 How the moth issues from the co- 



