34 Dr. Roxburgh's Account of 



from time immemorial, an abundant supply of a most durable, 

 coarse, dark-coloured silk, commonly called Tusseh-silk, which 

 is woven into a kind of cloth called Tusseh doot'hies, much 

 worn by Bramins and other sects of Hindoos. This substance 

 would, no doubt, be highly useful to the inhabitants of many 

 parts of America and the south of Europe, where a cheap, light, 

 cool, durable dress, such as this silk makes, is much wanted. 



Description of the Insects in their various Stages. 



Eggs white, round, compressed, with a depression or pit in the 

 centre on each side; the circumference crossed with ruga?, cor- 

 responding with the rings of the inclosed animal. They hatch in 

 from two to four weeks, according to the state of the weather. 



Larvje, or caterpillars, acquire their full size, which is about 

 four inches in length, and three in circumference, in about six 

 weeks; they are nearly the colour of the leaves they feed on, and 

 are composed of ten segments, of which the posterior one is in 

 some degree bifid. There is a light yellowish-coloured stripe 

 on each side, which runs from the second or third anterior seg- 

 ment to the fissure of the last ; immediately under these stripes 

 the middle five, six, or seven segments are marked with an ob- 

 long gold-coloured speck. The back is also marked Avith a few 

 round darker-coloured spots, and a few long, coarse, distinct 

 hairs issue from these spots, with others of a smaller size scat- 

 tered over the insect. They are furnished with eight pairs of legs. 

 The pectoral or anterior three pairs end in a single claw each. 

 The abdominal four pairs are very thick, and truncated like the 

 feet of an elephant. The caudal pair is similar to the abdo- 

 minal. When the larvae approach near to their full size, they 

 are too heavy to crawl in search of their food Avith the back 

 up, as is usual with most caterpillars, but traverse suspended 

 by the feet, as represented in Tab. II. fig. 4. 



Chrysalis. 



