CHINESE SILK-LORE. 



501 



in many countries. But most caterpillars have only three molt- 

 ings. Here I may remark that we define two periods in the molt- 

 ings : the first, when the worms cease to take food, when we say 

 that they lie down ; and the second, when they lay aside their 

 envelope, which we call their getting up. We also say, when we 

 smother them with hot water, that they are taking a bath. 



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Fig. 1. Collecting the Leaves. 



Climbing the trees, the village boys 



Fill the air with the songs of their age ; 



Each of the trees has its owner, 



But every one respects his neighbor's. 



The living leaf flies to-day into our basket. 



And the zephyr is less quick than the hand that gathers it. 



I am not acquainted with the significance of these terms, to 

 lie down, get up, and take a bath ; but I suppose that those who 

 are charged with the duty of raising the Worms wish to give 

 them an orderly regimen.* The quality of our silk and the 



* The verse subjoined to our second illustration expresses the same thought as the 

 remark of General Tcheng-Ki-Tong, that, to preserve the luster of the silk, the worms that 



