250 



Philaiiipelus Vitis, Linnaeus. Ditto. p. 104. PI. vii. 



The reference appears incorrectly given to Plate v. 

 Hepialus lignivorus, Lewin. Sierra Leone. 



Zeuzera niinea, Cramer. Bengal. 



Oiketicus Kirbyi, Guilding. West Indies. 



Cryptothelea MacLeayi, Guikliug. Ditto. 

 CryptopLasa irrorata, Lewin. New Holland. 



Hyalophora Cecropia, Linnsus. N. America. 



„ Promethea, Drury. Ditto. 



Saturnia Isis, Westw. maja, King. ? 



„ Cynthia, Drury. Bengal. 



The following observations of Mr. Creighton on this moth are highly 

 interesting. 



" The Palma Christi silk-worm goes by the same name as the plant does among 

 the natives, which is Arrindy. They accordingly call it Arrhubj-tcorm, Arrindy- 

 thread, Arrindy-cloth, &c. They rear it in their houses much in the same way the 

 silk-wonn is reared. Their manner of spinning it is as follows : — Four or five of the 

 cocoons are fastened to a stick stuck in the ground, or sometimes they hold it in their 

 hand. These are united into one thread, and made fast to a piece of wood, with some- 

 thing heavy to make it spin round while suspended hy the thread : when they let out 

 suflicient of the cocoons from their hand, it is twisted by this piece of wood spinning 

 round, and when well twisted, it is wound round the wood, and another length let out 

 from the hand. The cocoons are spun wet, but only with cold water. The cloth is 

 woven in small pieces in a loom, and is as coarse as light vitree, but more open ; and 

 on being washed and beaten well, is made very soft and pliable. It is entirely con- 

 fined to the districts of Dinagepore and Rungpore ; no other place in Bengal having 

 got it. Its uses are for clothing, for both men and women. It will wear constantly 

 ten, fifteen, or twenty years; the merchants also use it for packing fine cloths, silks, 

 or shawls. It must, however, be always washed in cold water; if put into boiling wa- 

 ter, it makes it tear like old rotten cloth. There is a cocoon produced wild upon the 

 mango-tree, which they gather, and mix with Anindy cocoons in spinning. I have 

 only seen one caterpillar of it, and did not succeed in rearing it. I shall inquire for 

 some, and get a drawing made, if possible, as they cannot be sent or canied to any 

 distance." — p. 144. 



Saturnia Mylitta, Drury. Bengal. p. 146. PI. xiv. fig. 2. 



The following observations are extracted by Mr. Duncan from a 

 letter by Mr. Atkinson to a Mr. Pope of Mahometpore. In reply to 

 questions that had been addressed to him the writer states : — 



" 1st, That the cocoons of the insect, which feeds on the Byer leaf, are called by 

 the natives Bughy, producing a Tusseh silk. They are annual, and are said to re- 

 main in the cocoon nine months, and to be three months in the egg and worm state. 



" 2nd, That the species cannot be domesticated ; the natives apparently not being 

 able to retain any of it for seed. The hill people say that they go into jungles, and 

 under the Byer and Asseen trees they find the excrement of the insect; on which they 

 examine the tree, and, on discovering the small worms, they cut off branches of the 

 tree suificient for their purpose, with the young brood on the branches; these they car- 

 17 to convenient situations near their houses, and distribute the branches on the Asseen 



