722 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



m m^ 



Museum," may not be 

 uninteresting to our 

 readers : 



" In the first 

 month of spring orders 

 were issued to the 

 forester not to cut 

 down the mulberry- 

 trees ; and when the 

 cooing doves were ob- 

 served fluttering with 

 their wings, and the 

 crested jays alighting 



t ly J. fiat Millar] 



DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH 



Remarkable for the skull-like pattern on the back 



[Btttk 



upon the mulberry-trees, people were to prepare 

 the trays and frames for the purpose of rearing 

 the silkworms. 



" In the spring season, when the empress and 

 her ladies had fasted, they proceeded to the east, 

 and personally engaged in picking the mulberry- 

 leaves. On this occasion the married and single 

 ladies were forbidden to wear their ornaments, and 

 the usual employments of females were lessened, in 

 order to encourage attention to the silkworms. 

 When the rearing of the silkworms was completed, 

 the cocoons were divided (for reeling) and the silk 

 weighed (for weaving), each person being rewarded 





Tlua hf J. /><JI Millar] 



CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH 



^4 grey moth, with fink bands on the body 



DAY-FLYING MOTH 

 OF MADAGASCAR 



Remarkable for the brilliancy of 



its colours green and black, 



with the hind wings brilliant 



coppery red towards the 



extremity 



according to her 

 labour, in order to 

 provide dresses for the 

 celestial and ancestorial 

 sacrifices. In all this 

 none dared indulge in* 

 indolence. 



" In the last month 

 of summer the order 

 was given to the 

 female officers to dye 

 the silk of various 



