also exhibited some Californiun cocoous of excellent quality, and a piece of 

 black silk, part of the first specimen made in California from Califomian 

 produce ; also a Japanese cocoon of Bombyx mori pierced by a parasite which 

 he thought was probably a species of Diptera : this parasite, unknown in 

 Europe, caused great loss to the Japanese breeders by spoiling the cocoons. 

 The cultivation of mulberry-silk had been successfully introduced into the 

 centre and north of France, where the climate was more variable and cold than 

 in England ; and, fortified by the opinion of M. Guerin-Meneville, Dr. Wallace 

 urged the desirability of further experiment in this direction in England : 

 the process of reeling was simple and easily learnt, superior machinery had 

 recently been invented in this country to facilitate the process, and cocoons 

 would now be imported, the reeling of which would afford a new and healthy 

 occupation for women and children. 



In reply to a question from Mr. Edward Sheppard, as to the slow growth of 

 the mulberry tree, Dr. Wallace remarked that he was glad to correct a popular 

 error on this point. The Morus alba, M. Moretti, M. alpiua, M. Japonica and 

 others, w'ere used in silk culture, but the black-fruited Morus was not : the 

 species mentioned were all hardy, and of rapid growth. Morus Japonica 

 especially produced very large leaves ; M, multicaulis grew rapidly and 

 produced large leaves, but was liable to be cut off by frost. 



Dr. Wallace remarked that in Bombyx Pernii sexual desire appeared to be 

 inordinately strong, and on three separate occasions, when the supply of 

 females was not equal to the demand, he had found two males inter se alium 

 alio junctos, sibi mutuum coitum praestantes : in one case he had killed the 

 moths with chloroform whilst they remained in paederastic contact, and they 

 were exhibited in situ. They were placed side by side, face to face and tail to 

 tail, with their legs mutually intertwined. 



Dr. Wallace also mentioned that males of Bombyx Pernii had paired with 

 females of Saturnia Cecropia, S. Polyphemus and Anthersea Yamamai. From 

 the last mentioned union fertile eggs had been obtained ; a female Yamamai 

 emerged on the 17th of September, 18G9, and she was placed the next evening 

 alone in a cage with a male Pernii which had come out late in the autumn ; 

 they were soon in copula ; on the 19th, on being moved, she spurted out a 

 whitish fluid similar to that ejected by the male Pernii, and on that day she 

 laid 50 eggs ; on the ^Oth she laid 75 more, making a total of 125 eggs, and 

 was then killed for the cabinet : the eggs resembled the usual Yamamai eggs, 

 and were kept apart in a cool room facing north ; on the 3rd of November it 

 was found that most of them had hatched out : the larvae had red heads and 

 black bodies, and so far resembled Pernii, which are at first black, but they had 

 also yellow rings and lateral streaks ; some were lighter, some darker ; they 

 were very hairy, their bodies long and slender, the tubercles yellow and 

 containing several bristles. They continued to hatch out for several days till 

 all were hatched. On the 12th of November Dr. Algernon Chapman received 



