CH. VI.] INDIAN AND OTHER MOTHS. 113 



expires. The hill people calculate good or ill for- 

 tune in proportion to the speedy or tardy arrival of 

 the males. The cocoon is of darker colour than 

 the bughy, and like that the worms are also guarded. 

 The other species is peculiar to the interior of Ben- 

 gal, and is named Arrindy or Arundi, on account of 

 the worms feeding on the arrindi, ricinus, or palma 

 christi, from which tree the castor-oil is extracted. 

 This species is capable of being reared in the 

 same manner as the common silkworms. The eggs 

 of this insect are ovate, of a pure white colour, and 

 are hatched in about ten or fifteen days. In about 

 a month the worms arrive to their full size, in which 

 period they cast their skins three or four times ; the 

 size of this worm is from two and a half to three 

 inches in length, composed of ten rings ; across the 

 centre of each are several small, soft, conic, pointed 

 tubercles; the prevailing colour is pale green; in 

 this state they are voracious, devouring daily many 



times their own weight of food. The cocoons are 

 white or yellowish, of a very soft dehcate texture ; 

 in general, about two or three inches in length, and 

 three in circumference, pointed at both ends. In 

 this case the chrysalis remains ten to twenty days, 

 then issues forth from one end, and in the perfect 

 state exists from four to eight days, during which 

 period it is wholly employed in the great work of 

 nature, remaining perfectly contented in its cham- 

 ber, and seldom attempting to fly away. The wings 

 expand from four to live inches, and are of a gray- 

 ish-brown colour, with bands across and a diapha- 

 nous spot in the centre. 



K2 



