The South Australian Naturalist. 37 



Here it coiitinue.s its I'civagcs on insects and other small Avater 

 life. Altliongh now an animal of much different structiu'e it 

 still breathes in mucii the same fashion, and rises to the surface 

 tail up, taking a bubble of air under the elytra or wing cases, 

 and then diving to the bottom to its prey among the water weeds 

 there. At night it leaves the water and flies away, but finds 

 water a sain before davbreak. 



SILKWORMS. 



"Oh! what a lovely rich colour! How did you manage to 

 obtain such lovely silk!" These and kindred exclamations 

 shall be my excuse for putting upon record my experiences with 

 regard to silkworm raising and selection. This selection has 

 consisted of the sorting of cocoons of different colours, and 

 keeping those of each kind separate. 



Some few years since I found a few nearly orange-coloured 

 cocoons, which I put aside, hatched the moths separately, and 

 kept all these moths and the eggs laid by them apart from any 

 others, until two seasons ago 1 had quite a number of cater- 

 pillars and was able to wind oft' a fine bunch of rich yellow silk. 

 Thus by a process of selection I was able to isolate and develop 

 the characteristic of producing yellow silk, as very few of the 

 oft'spring of the selected cocoons have departed from that colour, 

 and the silk is ap])arently quite equal in texture and quantity to 

 the usually lighter-coloured cocoons. I fear I shall only be able 

 to rear a few this season, as owing to an unfortunate accident 

 I lost most of my larvae last season. It is apparently an in- 

 stance of a natural variation being caught and perpetuated, 

 though Avhether it is any improvement upon the ordinary light- 

 coloured silk I can scarcely say, silk-rearing not being carried 

 on commercially in Australia. It certainly adds much interest 

 to an already interesting hol)by. 1 am looking forward to the 

 coming breeding season and wondering what may be in store. 



ALBT. CANNING (through Mr. A. G. Edquist). 



Note. — In these brief notes Ave have outlined for us a very 

 interesting and useful type of Nature study. What Mr. Can- 

 ning has done Avith silkAvorms others may do Avith floAvers, vege- 

 tables, etc.—A.G.E. 





