264 THK ENTOMOLOGIST. 



should never be forced in a hot-house. When ihe young 

 worms have hatched they can at once be placed on the 

 young trees, and they will seldom wander. When larger, 

 the worms must be placed on oak branches (plunged in 

 water), one or two feet long. Small twigs must not be 

 used, still less cut leaves, to feed the worms. Branches 

 should be cut in the evening; never while the sun is shining 

 on them. If these rules be observed, failure in the rearing 

 of the larvae will be avoided to a great extent. 



For the rearing of young larvae I have adopted with 

 great success the following plan: — 1 have large bell 

 glasses (with four or five openings on the dome) placed on 

 saucers full of sand covered with a piece of paper. Small 

 branches are stuck through the paper into the sand, and 

 no water is required to keep the foliage fresh under the 

 glass, which, of course, must not be put in the sun. The 

 larvae will there thrive till they are large enough to be placed 

 on branches plunged in water. When necessary, the glass may 

 be raised, so as to give free ventilation ; as to the droppings, 

 they can be removed by merely blowing on the paper. If 

 the glasses be large enough, a certain number of the larvae 

 may be leit under them, till they form their cocoons, although 

 it is preferable to rear them uncovered when large. When 

 under glass, as no water is required to keep them fresh, the 

 branches may be short, and cut according to the size of 

 the glass, but when plunged in water they must always 

 be long; otherwise the foliage would get watery and cause the 

 death of the larvae. Yania-Ma'i worms should not be placed 

 in the open air till June. They want shade and to be freely 

 watered in hot weather. Ova of this species should always 

 be obtained as early as possible, so that they should pass the 

 winter in the locality where they are to be reared. This plan 

 for rearing the Yama-Ma'i may be adopted lor all the species 

 of silk-])roducing and other large Bombyces. 



AliacuH Pernyi (Chinese oak-silkworm). — This species, a 

 native of North China, is very easy to rear in the open air, and 

 will feed, like Ydiv a- Mai, on all species of oak. Being double- 

 brooded, and a second rearing being extremely difficult, if not 

 impossible, the cocoons obtained should be kept in the open 

 air and in a cool place, so as to prevent the moths from 

 emerging in the autumn. In spite of precautions, when the 

 autunni is mild, some of the moths will emerge, but the 

 majority of the cocoons will keep till May of the Ibllowing 

 season. 



