350 Or THE SILK-WORM. 
contained in the egg, and thereby deftroy all your future 
hopes. 
II. The worm is entirely black at its birth, and is about 
as long as an ant. He is rolled up in the egg, which 
otherwife could not contain him. He preferves this black 
colour eight or nine days. After your worms are hatched 
you muft put them on wicker fhelves, which are covered’ 
firft with paper and afterwards with a bed of the youngeft 
and moft tender mulberry leaves; you may place feveral’ 
ranges of them in the fame chamber, one above another,, 
provided you leave at leaft a foot and a half between each: 
range; that the feaffolding be in the middle of the room,. 
and that your wicker fhelves be not too broad, but jufl fo 
as to reach on each fide conveniently to the middle. By 
degrees the worm grows and requires more room. It mutft 
be your care to thin them, and keep thofe of the fame fize: 
as near as you can on one row; for which reafon you muft’ 
always leave fome fhelves vacant for that purpofe. 
The worm continues feeding during eight days after’ 
its birth, at the end of which he has three lines in length 
or the fourth part of an inch. He is then attacked with: 
his firft ficknefs, which confifts in a kind of lethargic fleep’ 
for three days together, during which fpace he changes: 
his fkin, ftill preferving the fame bulk. 
This fleep being over, he begins to eat again during: 
five days, at which term he is grown to the fize of feven: 
lines in length, after which follows a fecond ficknefs*, in: 
every refpect like the former. He then feeds during other: 
five days, and is now about nine lines in length, when: 
he is attacked with his third ficknefs; which over, he con— 
tinues to eat again five days more, which are followed by: 
his fourth ficknefs, at which time he is arrived at his full 
growth, i. e. about fourteen lines in length and two in. 
diameter. 
He: 
* You mutt obferve that thefe fickneffes are much longer, and Jaft feven or eight days when 
the weather is cold. 
