HOME-GROWN SILKWORM-GUT 223 



worm into a solution of any kind. I have tried this 

 method on cecropia and polyphemus, but with un- 

 satisfactory results. I am not denying the possi- 

 bility of doing it; I merely am stating my own ex- 

 perience. I try a few worms by this method from 

 every brood that I raise, and hope some day to be 

 successful. My experience has been that the un- 

 pickled sacs are too weak to permit of being drawn 

 out in this way; however, I will describe this method 

 in hopes that it may be useful to others. Take a 

 board from six to nine feet long. Pin the worm 

 securely to one end, putting one pin through the 

 " tail " of the animal and two more about a third 

 of the way back from the head. With a sharp knife 

 cut off the anterior part back nearly to the two pins. 

 Take a large pin and dip it into the silk and carefully 

 draw out as far as the fluid silk will go, and fasten 

 each strand with a pin; a cecropia caterpillar has two 

 silk-sacs and yields two strands of gut. Let the gut 

 thus drawn out dry in the shade for several days. 

 I have read that a method like this has been suc- 

 cessfully tried in France; but I must confess that I 

 do not enjoy the experience neither does the 

 worm. Very likely the caterpillar could be killed 

 or stupefied by some means before the pinning was 

 done. 



The method which I employ has at least the merit 

 of being more merciful. After the worm has 

 pickled for about half an hour I examine and draw 



