Academy of Sciences in Paris. 379 



some particulars from Dr. William Roxburgh, who has given an 

 account of this insect in the seventh volume of the Transactions of the 

 Linnuean Society of London, as to the time of its various metamor- 

 phoses. The latter states, that the Bombyx paphia constructs its ball 

 in the month of October, and that the perfect insect does not make 

 its appearance until the July in the following year ; so that its capti- 

 vity would last some months. It is, however, certain, that the cocoons 

 brought into France by M. Lamare Picquot, and placed in hothouses, 

 were hatched in the spring. The reporter, however, remarks, 

 that the appellation paphia strictly belongs only to the bombyx 

 represented by Cramer under that name, plate 147 A and B, and 

 148 A ; the species to which the same name has been applied by Lin- 

 naeus and Fabricius are so imperfectly described, that it is almost 

 impossible to know what they really are. The Bombyx paphia always 

 comes into the world during the night ; its wings are entirely deve- 

 loped in two hours the distance Tfrorn tip to tip of those of the 

 female is nearly five inches. The number of males generated at one 

 time is but one-fifth of that of the females, so that one male impreg- 

 nates several females. The desire of reproduction manifests itself 

 almost immediately after the development of the wings, and is shown 

 by a shrill buzzing noise, well known to the Indians, who attach the 

 females to the branch of a tree by a silken thread tied round one of 

 their legs, and in the morning they invariably find them with the 

 males attached to them. The males are active, and take long flights ; 

 but the females are heavy, and fly but little. The colour of the 

 female varies considerably, but that of the male is uniformly of a 

 deep brick-red. The copulation lasts from twelve to nineteen hours, 

 and the number of eggs varies from 500 to 700 ; they are white, and 

 occupy the greater part of the abdominal cavity. The cocoon is of a 

 very singular construction, and different from all those which are 

 known to us. It is not fixed to the branch of a tree by a glutinous 

 matter or by a silken thread, but the insect chooses a branch which 

 is about half an inch in diameter, and forms a species of ring round 

 it with a resinous matter issuing from its mouth; it then extends its 

 work in a sort of pedicule, of about two inches long, in which it gra- 

 dually encloses itself. The Indians, to preserve it from the birds, and 

 to prevent the females from leaving the spot, cover the tree with a 

 thick net. The silk which comes from these cocoons has a dark tint, 

 which must be chemically removed before it can be dyed any other 

 colour ; it is much coarser than the silk of the common silkworm, 

 but is stronger, and the stuff's made from it last a long time. It is 

 also used to make nets and fishing-lines. M. Lamare Picquot ima- 

 gines, that some of the trees now grown in France may probably be 

 found to answer as a substitute for the badamier in furnishing food 

 for these insects, and wishes them naturalized in France ; but the 

 reporter remarks, that although it would be easy to have the insects 

 from India, it would be absolutely necessary to be provided with a 

 nourishment for them as otherwise, should M. Lamare Picquot 



