Silkworm from Japan. 357 
habits, of its beauty as a larva, of the size, form and colour of the 
cocoon, of the suppleness, brilliancy and clasticity of the silken 
fibre ; and, lastly, of the physiological and scientific character of 
the moth.* The chance of a second experiment under such circum- 
stances was greatly to be desired ; therefore, Mons. Eugéne Simon, 
the Agricultural Commissioner of the French government in China 
and Japan, received a special mission to search out and send over 
eggs of the Yamamai. But the Japanese law, entailing death on 
any one detected in exporting the eggs,-was for some time an in- 
surmountable difficulty ; and Mons. Simon was obliged to leave 
Japan with his mission unexecuted. But happily he had made 
the acquaintance of a savant devoted to the cause, Mons. Pompe 
van Meedervoort, medical officer in the Dutch navy, and Director 
of the Imperial School of Medicine at Nagasaki, who seeing the 
importance of such a result was able most fortunately to attain it. 
To Mons. Pompe van Meedervoort Europe owes the posses- 
sion of this valuable species, the Bombyx Yamamai. Early in 
January, 1863, this savant returned to Holland with a parcel of 
eggs.t The principal portion of these were sent, according to a 
promise made to Mons. Simon, to the French government, and by 
it entrusted to the Imperial Society of Acclimatization, and by 
them to Mons. Guérin-Méneville for distribution among the mem- 
bers, &c 3 two other portions were retained by Mons. Pompe van 
Meedervoort for his friends and his country, and a fourth portion 
was given to Mons. Guérin-Méneville, through the kindness of a 
Dr. Blecker, for distribution among those naturalists and sericicul- 
turists who were not members of the Imperial Society of Acclima- 
tization. Subjoined is the translation of a notice published by 
Mons. Pompe van Meedervoort, relative to the introduction of the 
Yamamai into Europe.t 
**Mons. Duchesne de Bellecourt, Consul general and chargé 
d'affaires of His Majesty the French Emperor at Japan, sent in 
1861 some eggs of the Bombyx Yamamai to the Society of Ac- 
climatization; with these eggs experiments were made showing 
the great importance to Sericiculture of this new silk worm. 
* In 1862, I had the honour to make the acquaintance of Mons. 
* See a Memoir by Mons. Guérin-Méneville, “‘ Description of a new Oak- 
feeding Silkworm from Japan;’’ extracts from the Revue et Mag. de Zoo- 
logie, année 1861, pp. 227, 402, 435, pl. xi, xii, xill. 
+ According to Mons. Guérin-Méneville, vide Revue de Sériciculture, 1863, 
p: 34, thirty grammes in good condition. 
+ Revue de Sériciculture, 1863, p. 288. 
eo? 
