Silkworm from Japan. 391 
with a black blight, and the worms which I put in the garden died. 
I lost the first hatched (only thirty-three) on the plants in pots. I 
found with you that the leaves are not succulent enough; and [ 
think the only oaks that will answer are the scrub sort ‘in the 
hedges, which continually put forth fresh leaves, and on these 
leaves I kept all I could preserve in bottles ;* still they died, 
though I sprinkled the leaves with water. They showed a deter- 
mination to commit suicide by getting into the water. About 
thirty eggs did not hatch, though apparently good.” 
A similar disease attacked Lady Nevill’s brood in 1865, and 
destroyed her hopes of success ; and on the continent the same 
disease has checked the cultivation in many places. I have this 
year observed the same disease attack individuals of the B. 
Cynthia, which had suffered from the continued cold and wet; but 
in these worms the skin seems to be tougher and does not rupture 
easily, though covered with blotches; the worms will remain 
clinging to the leaves fora fortnight or more, though they eat but 
little, and remain motionless ; but they are blotched in a similar 
manner, and get soft after a time ; they generally die from diarrhoea, 
but some spin their cocoons. Their constitution evidently resists 
the disease much more powerfully than does the Yamamai. 
I will conclude my English experiences with an extract from 
the Report for 1866 of the Acclimatization Society of Great Britain, 
p- 20. ‘Last year (1865) the Society received a limited supply 
of the eggs of the Bombyx Yamamai from France; these were in 
part distributed to various members of the Society, and the residue 
were retained by Mr. Bush, at Clapham, where a large number 
were hatched, but they invariably died afier the second casting of 
the skin; the number was thus reduced to about forty, which 
grew to the size of 23 inches, having fed readily and by pre- 
ference on the common British oak. When they had attained that 
size they appeared to be attacked by some disease which caused 
a sudden discharge of the fluids in the body, and the consequent 
withering and death of this very beautiful caterpillar. They were 
of a brilliant green, with small silvery spots on the sides. The 
whole ofthe number which had reached that size died in this man- 
ner, not leaving one to attain the power of spinning ;_ but with our 
honorary member at Guernsey, to whom a portion of the eggs had 
been consigned, the experiment was carried further towards a 
successful issue, as described in the following brief report by the 
Rev. W. T. Collins, who so indefatigably conducted the experi- 
* The cut ends of the oak sprays were put into bottles of water to preserve 
them fresh, 
