400 Dr. Wallace on the Oak-feeding 
embassy at Japan.* In passing through so many translations, 
doubtless in some respects the meaning of the passages is slightly 
altered; but the main features are in general sufficiently easy of 
comprehension. 
‘“‘ Trees used by the Japanese in rearing the Yamamai, generally 
called ‘ Yama-Mayn-nomusi,’ or the Worm of the Wild Cocoon. 
1. Sira-kasi, the White Oak (Quercus Sirokasi, Siebold), called 
in Japanese Men-siyo; French, Le Chéne farineux. 
2. Kunu-gi on Fotsi-maki (Quercus dentata, Thunberg), called in 
Japanese eki. Worms fed on these two trees produce cocoons 
which have a great deal of silk. 
8. Kasi-va. Japanese, Kok (Quercus serrata, Thunberg). 
4, Mitsu-nava. Cocoons produced from these trees are soft 
(moelleux), strong, and of a superior thread. 
5. Nava-no-ki (Quercus serrata, Thunberg). 
As these trees vegetate earliest, and have the most tender leaves, 
they are the best suited to the young worms up to their third stage. 
Other trees in certain parts are used to feed these silkworms. Inculti- 
vating the cocoons, the oak trees are planted in rows along the farms 
_and on the borders of the ploughed fields, and, in addition to their 
principal labours, the farmers derive considerable gain from this 
secondary cultivation, since the silk is very strong and valuable. 
There are three modes of rearing the worm ; 1, on oak boughs in 
buckets (baquets), oke-kai-date; 2, on oak boughs stuck in the 
ground, doma-kai-date ; 3, on trees in the open air, no-kai-date, 
The first mode is used in every case for the young brood till after 
their third moult ; after that the second and third modes are ap- 
plicable. In the first mode shade but not cold is desirable, in the 
other two the sun is welcome; the north-west wind is very injurious 
to the young worms, and it is necessary to protect them from it. 
(In our country equivalent probably to the east wind.) If the wind 
blow softly from the south-east} it is favourable to disease, which 
disappears when the wind returns to the north-west. It is necessary 
to guard against wind, but in the open air culture the wind is no 
longer injurious, as the worms are sheltered by the leafy shades. 
The preservation of eggs is of the utmost importance ; the increas- 
ing demand of the last two years has introduced into commerce 
eggs of all kinds; the inexperienced often buy eggs which hatch 
out badly, or if they hatch out, the worms die at the first or second 
* Vide Revue de Sériciculture, 1864, p. 289. 
+ Doubtless a hot, dry wind, 
