1792- ow tht silk-worm. 34 1 



good or a bad sort *. This is a department in respect to 

 the CEConomy of animals that has been in every case 

 much lefs adverted to than it deserves ; and in particular 

 with regard to the silk-worm it has been almost entirely 

 overlooked. A few eggs of the silk-worm can be easily- 

 transported by post in a letter from any part of Europe to 

 another, especially during the winter season. It wonld, 

 therefore, be an easy matter for any patriotic society, 

 such as the Society of Arts in London, to obtain a speci- 

 men of the eggs from every country in which silk is now 

 reared, to put these under the care of a person who could 

 be depended upon, and who understood the management 

 of them, with orders to keep each kind distinct from an- 

 other, and advert to every particular that occuiTed in 

 their management, so as to make a tair estimate of their 

 respective merits. By this means the best might be se- 

 lected, and those of inferior value rejected. Forty or 

 fifty of each sort might be enough for the expeilraent ; 

 but it ought to be repeated several times before conclusi- 

 ons could be drawn from it that might be altogether re- 

 lied upon ; for it is well known that a variation of cir- 

 cumstances will make a change in the result ; and it Is by- 

 no means certain that the same particular would affect 

 those of one breed exactly in the same manner as it 

 would do those of a different breed. One may be more 

 hardy with regard to cold, another more delicate In re- 

 spect to food, and so en. It is experience, alone, that 

 can ascertain the circumstances here inquired for. 



Th« colour of the cocoons is considerably divcrsl.ied. 

 The silk produced by some is white, others yellow or 



• " I have thiee i';Kerir\l k'n;ls of si!k-worms," writes Mr Jolin (jl..fs 

 to Dr AnderS'-n o! Madras, dated Po^lipore 9;!) of June 1791} " eachot" 

 which produces a' diffe.ent i'2c of cocooi^s ; the l.irgcst about thirteen . 

 tl.ouEVid to a stcr, the s.mi'lXit nearly twcntj-fivc thousand." 1 his UiO'i.- 

 icuic is ntiriy <is two :y one. Ht s.-ys notWrg nf ihcir other qualJtUs. 



