392 Dr. Wallace on the Oak-feeding 
ments to the end; he says, ‘From the eggs supplied us by Dr. 
Hoskins about sixty worms were hatched in April last; we tried 
them with every kind of leaf, common or exotic, we could think of ; 
at least 100 sorts-were refused by the worms, who to our despair 
would only feed upon each other. This species of cannibalism, 
however, disappeared after the first change of skin, They then 
began to eat the young leaves of the Turkey oak, and during their 
last stages condescended to feed upon the leaf of the common 
English oak. Only seventeen worms ultimately remained to us; 
they were very large and handsome caterpillars of a lovely green 
colour, with spots of a bright silver arranged in rows along either 
side. These creatures were much more active than the common 
silkworms, walking rapidly, highly irritable when touched, and if 
disturbed while spinning, as was sometimes necessary, in order to 
place them more securely, they would cease to spin for hours. 
The silk produced is exceedingly fine, of a pretty light green 
colour similar to that of the worms, but so easily broken as to be 
difficult to wind off. Seventeen moths were developed from the 
seventeen cocoons, but they did not deposit any eggs.’ This year 
(1866) the Society were so fortunate as to receive from the Impe- 
rial Society of Acclimatization in France many thousands of the 
eggs of this interesting silkworm, Bombyx Yamamai, which, being 
received lone before there was any possibility of obtaining food for 
them, were kept from every degree of warmth which might induce 
their hatching out prematurely. Early in April, Mr. Wilson, one 
of our vice-presidents, kindly transferred to us a large parcel con- 
taining many thousand eggs of the silkworm, which was intended 
by the Imperial Society of France for presentation to the Acclima- 
tization Society of Melbourne, but arriving too late for the vessel, 
which was stocked with ice for conveying them to Melbourne, Mr. 
Wilson considered that the next best thing he could do was to 
present them tothe Society. By the assistance of one of our mem- 
bers, H.J. B. Hancock, Esq., we have obtained 100 oaklings, now in 
full leaf, upon which the eggs are laid ina warm and sheltered situa- 
tion with an endeavour to maintain an equal temperature. We are 
not able to report with any degree of confidence the results.” At 
a later date than the report, I learned that no ova were batched out. 
Tedious and minute as may be thought the account of my un- 
successful experiment to rear and acclimatize these most valuable 
silkworms, I believe that its chief value lies in the minutiz re- 
corded. We have to deal with a valuable but highly delicate 
insect, greatly prized by the Japanese, so much so indeed that they 
have evinced the utmost unwillingness to allow it to leave their 
