150 ANNUAL REPORT. 



pure air and plenty of light. The eggs may be placed upon tables 

 or ahelves and over them a piece of tarlatan or mosquito netting. 

 As soon as they commence to hatch, which may be within twenty- 

 four hours, have ready some mulberry leaves, young and tender^ 

 finely cut with a chopping knife. Spri-ikle these lightly over the 

 netting. 



Immediately on coming from the shell the little worms, less than 

 a quarter of an inch in length, look around for food ; finding which^ 

 they remain nearly stationery, never moving save in search of it. 

 Once every day, to take away the dried leaves and the litter which 

 accumulates, a fresh piece of netting is spread over the worms and 

 upon it freshly cut leaves. In an hour or more the worms will 

 have crawled up through the netting, and the remains of yester- 

 day's food can be removed. 



The worms hatched each day must be kept by themselves. After 

 the third day, the worms are said to be weak and feeble and not 

 worth raising. The little worms must be fed as often as once in 

 two or three hours. The amount they eat depends largely upon 

 the temperature of their room. If the temperature goes below 75* 

 they eat but little, and if they do not eat they will not spin silk 

 sufficient to make themselves a decent shroud. 



As the days are added to their age so their food must be increas- 

 ed. Their whole life is less than forty days; and during the last 

 two weeks they devour an enormous quantity of food, considering 

 their size. As the amount of their life's work depends upon the- 

 quantity of food consumed, together with the temperature in which 

 they are kept, they have been known to have finished this Avork in 

 twenty-five days. Generally, they live from thirty to thirty-five- 

 days. In their living and eating and changing of clothing they do 

 not differ from other species of the same class which we instinctively 

 shrink from in dismay. 



But these creatures we treat differently. Plenty of food and the 

 best of care are not grudged them; for it is the last act of their 

 short lives which is the most wonderful of all. The worms, when 

 first hatched, are nearly black. In about five days they shed this 

 skin and appear in a lighter one. This change of skin occurs at 

 intervals durmg their lives. Each time the skin is lighter than the 

 preceding one. After the last change the worm is of a pearly 

 whiteness, and smoother to the touch than the finest satin that 

 comes from the looms of the silk weavers. It is also nearly trans- 

 parent. The food has been converted into silk fluid and is ready to- 

 be spun. The worm at this stage is from three to four inches long^ 



