226 



THE INSECT WORLD. 



I 



Fig. 209. — Silkworm Moth {Bivnbyx inori), male. 



its antcnnce blackish ; it moves about, beats its wings together, an( 

 is Hvely and petulant. 



Before laying her eggs, the female looks out for a place suitabl 



for this purpose. When sh 

 has found this place, sh 

 ejects an ^gg covered with 

 viscous liquid, which cause 

 it to adhere to the body upo 

 which it falls. Very soo 

 she lays a second egg by tl" 

 side of the first, then a thii 

 by the side of the secon( 

 and so on. She very rare 

 piles them up on each other. The laying lasts about three day: 

 the number of eggs is from 300 to 700 for each female. The: 

 eggs are generally tentacular and flattened towards the centre, i 

 the moment at which they are laid they are of a bright yellow. ' 



a week they become bro^Y 

 The colour changes then 

 a reddish grey ; lastly 

 becomes of a slaty gr( 

 remaining this colour duri 

 the autumn, winter, and 

 great part of the sprii 

 Then as the temperati 

 rises, the colour of the e^ 

 passes successively throu 

 bluish, violet, ashy, and y 

 lowish shades. And, last 

 they become more and m( 

 whitish every day as 1 

 hatching time approaches. 

 If looked at closely, ( 

 remarks a black spot and a brownish crescent extending along 

 circumference. The black spot is the head of the worm, wh 

 closely touches the shell ; the crescent is the body, which is aire: 

 covered with little hairs. When it leaves the egg, the silkworm gn; 

 through the shell on its side, never on its flat surface. When 

 opening is large enough, it breaks out through it, head forem 

 and immediately fixes a thread of silk to any object it can rer 

 no doubt in order to prevent itself from falling. Sometimes 

 opening is too small to allow of the head passing out, and the b 



orm i\loth {Bojnbyx mo7i), female. 



