40 Dr. Roxburgh's Account of 



as the purposes of nature are effected, and the females live only 

 i to produce the eggs on the branches of the trees, and then ex- 

 pire. In regard to the Bughy species, they all take flight, females 

 as veil as males, and hence the natives firmly believe that they 

 are all males, though I cannot see any physical reason for sup- 

 posing them so. I have frequently endeavoured to detain the 

 males of the Jarroo species, and have kept them locked up in a 

 box for that purpose; but whether they did not like to make free 

 •with their female relations, or from what other cause I know not, 

 but I could never obtain a breed in the domestic state, and the 

 efforts of the male to escape were wonderful, and at last always 

 effectual. The accounts given by the natives of the distance to 

 which the male insects fly are very astonishing. I have put, at 

 different times and occasions, innumerable questions to them on 

 this subject, and they assure me that it is no uncommon prac- 

 tice amongst them to catch some of the male moths, and put a 

 mark on their wings previous to letting them fly, the marks of 

 different districts being known. I am told that it has been thus 

 ascertained that male moths have come from a distance equal to 

 a hundred miles and upwards ; I of course cannot vouch for the 

 truth of this, but have no hesitation in declaring that I believe 

 it. The Jarroo worm is guarded on the trees in like manner as the 

 Bughy; this I have had opportunities of seeing on the hills west- 

 ward of me : the cocoons are darker coloured than the Bughy 

 species, and are wound off as described above. The accompa- 

 nying skein I had reeled oft" at my elbow this morning; it consists 

 of five Jarroo cocoons at first, of four when one cocoon was 

 finished, and of three when two cocoons were ended : I then 

 stopped the reel ; the three that remained of course gave a fila- 

 ment the entire length of the skein. 



" There is still another species of wild silk-worm produced in 



the 





