66 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORl'. 



white, and others yellow, or even greenish, cocoons. The 

 domesticated moths are ahnost incapable of flight, but, if 

 reared in the open air, they recover the power of flight in a few 

 generations. 



According to the Chinese annals, Se-ling-she, the queen of 

 the Emperor Hwang-te, was the first to rear silkworms, about 

 2,600 E.c. But it is more probable that she only encouraged 

 and extended an industry which already existed among the 

 people at that period. Subsequently the silk industry was 

 introduced into India ; but it was not till the beginning of the 

 sixth century a.d., during the reign of Justinian, that the eggs 

 of the silkworm were brought to Constantinople, by two Persian 

 monks, who concealed them in a cane. In modern times, 

 silk-rearing has formed one of the most important industries 

 of Southern Europe ; though it has latterly received a severe 

 check from the ravages of various diseases, the most for- 

 midable of which might have destroyed the industry alto- 

 gether but for the researches of the late M. Pasteur, who 

 discovered means of ensuring a healthy brood by micro- 

 scopical examination, and selecting for breeding purposes 

 those insects which were found to be free from the germs of 

 the disease. Various attempts have been made to rear 

 silkworms in Central Europe, but the climate is not suffi- 

 ciently favourable ; and I have been told that, though the 

 quality of British-reared silk is good, the thread is too short to 

 be of sufficient commercial value. 



GENUS ENDROMIS. 



Endromis, Ochsenheimer, Schmett. Eur., iii., p. 15 (18 10) ; 

 Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust., ii., p. 33 (1828). 



The antennce are strongly pectinated, especially in the 

 male \ the wings are strong, entire, and considerably produced 



