pillar passes through its last moult and assumes the chrysalid 

 form. Heretofore it has been possible to observe each stage of 

 development in the life of our silkworms, but the chrysalis is 

 hidden within the cocoon. The next visible sign of life is the 

 emergence of the moth from the cocoon. In a few days it lays 

 its eggs and dies. The cycle is then complete from the egg through 

 the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the adult moth back to the egg 

 again. 



In general silk culture, however, only moths suflEicient for the 

 production of the next year's supply of worms are allowed to 

 mature. And so it is with the Museum exhibit. The greater 

 part of the worms will be killed by smothering in hot steam while 

 in the chrysalid stage. Otherwise the cocoons could not be 

 unreeled, since the moths break many of the threads if allowed 

 to work their way out. Broken cocoons can be used only where 

 short threads are suflBcient, as in certain rugs. To unreel the 

 cocoons they are first plunged in boiling water and stirred with 

 brushes; the ends of the silk become attached to the brushes and 

 can be thus withdrawn and connected with the reel. The pres- 

 ent exhibit contains two skeins of silk of excellent quality drawn 

 from cocoons reared in Charleston by Miss Kelly. One is a pure 

 white and the other golden yellow. From 1200 to 1600 yards of 

 silk is the usual length taken from one cocoon. 



The chief interest of the exhibit naturally lies with the worms, 

 but other features command almost equal attention. A series 

 of large colored charts illustrates the life-history of the silkworm 

 and its various organs; two of these teach methods of detecting 

 disease in the worms, and still others give graphic diagrams of 

 the relative production and consumption of silk among the na- 

 tions of the world. Machines and other mechanical devices de- 

 monstrate the methods of producing the finished silk. Particu- 

 larly valuable is the large collection of cocoons spun by many 

 races and breeds of the silkworm, and exhibiting infinite diver- 

 sity of form. 



Numerous as are the present varieties of the mulberry silk- 

 s' 



