IbU THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of both species are closed, that of A.^ernyi being the larger ; and 

 their silk, which can be reeled, is verj-- likely of equal value. But 

 A. i)ernyi had two great advantages over A. yama-mai: the 

 moths paired readily in-doors as well as out-of-doors, and the 

 worms hatching in May at the earliest, and in June in moderate 

 climates, have a good supply of food as soon as they hatch. 



As it is well known, the A. yama-mdi hybernates in the ovum 

 state, or rather in the larval state, the larvae, fully developed 

 about two or three weeks after the laying of the eggs, remaining 

 in the egg from the month of August or September till the 

 spring. The lirst difficulty with the rearing of yama-mdi, was 

 the supply of food as soon as the hatching of the worms com- 

 menced, and it often took place before the breaking out of 

 the oak buds as above stated. 



Now this difficulty can be overcome, as it has been found 

 that the young yama-mdi larvse can feed on hawthorn and horn- 

 beam {Carpinus hetulus), the foliage of which is earlier than that 

 of the oak. Very likely it might feed also on some other kinds 

 of foliage till the oak leaves make their appearance. Small, 

 gently-forced oak trees in pots might also be used. I must 

 also add, that if the yama-mai eggs are kept in the open air all 

 the winter in a northern aspect, and protected against tlie rays of 

 the sun, they will seldom hatch before the oak trees break into 

 foliage ; if so, it will only be a matter of feeding the worms for a 

 short time on a foliage different from their natural one. 



Coming next to the second great difficulty, that of the repro- 

 duction of the species, it must be stated that the pairing of the 

 motlis will easily take place if the cages containing the moths are 

 placed in the open air instead of in rooms, as it was done 

 by entomologists or amateur sericiculturists. One of my French 

 correspondents, an eminent and most skilful breeder of silk 

 producers, has always been successful with his yama-mai, which 

 he has propagated from the same stock ever since he commenced 

 with this species. He places his young yama-mai larvae in the 

 open air on oak branches, immediately they are hatched, what- 

 ever may be the state of the weather ; they can resist the frost. 

 These few particulars may induce some entomologists to try 

 again this very interesting silkworip. The yama-mai ova I had 

 in 1885, hatched from April 1st ; they were fed during a few days 

 on hawthorn and hornbeam, but seemed to prefer the latter. 



