112 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. VI. 



The female deposites her eggs on the branches of 

 the tree on which she may happen to rest, and they 

 adhere firmly by means of the gluten which covers 

 them when newly laid. 



The natives, when about to wind off these co- 

 coons, place them in a ley made of plantain ashes 

 and water, for about two hours, and then set them 

 in an earthen pot; those which are properly soft- 

 ened are first applied to the reel, and so on, till the 

 whole are wound off, which is performed in the fol- 

 lowing manner : the cocoons are laid in a smooth 

 earthen dish without water, the reel is turned by 

 the right hand, while the thread of four or five co- 

 coons passes over the left thigh of the spinner, and 

 he gives the threads a twist with his left hand upon 

 his thigh. The thread is exceedingly apt to come 

 off double and treble for several yards together, 

 which is not regarded by the natives, as breaking 

 off double threads would diminish the produce, and 

 moreover would occasion loss of time ; a very 

 even thread, however, may with care be reeled from 

 either the Bughy or Jarroo cocoons. 



The species just mentioned is so called from be- 

 ing produced in the coldest month of the year, say 

 January, the former being about a month before 

 them. The history of the Jarroo is very similar to 

 the one just described ; but the principal difference 

 between these two species is, that the natives dress 

 out plots of asseen-trees on purpose for these 

 worms, and retain a part of the cocoons, which they 

 hang out on the asseen-trees when the proper season 

 arrives for the moths to come to their perfect state. 

 The male insects of this species are said invariably, 

 soon after birth, to fly away and leave the females 

 on the trees ; but, in the space of ten or twelve 

 hours, or perhaps one, two, or three days, a flight 

 of strange males arrives, settles on the branches 

 with the females which have been neglected, and 

 after a short time the female lays her eggs and then 



