

THE SILK WORM. 147 



destroyed by mice. Wishing to cross the breed of 

 f ^o species of the silk- worm, I placed two flies on a 

 able near a window, which opened on a shed. In a 

 few hours I returned and found them literally eaten 

 up by large black ants. From the delicate texture of 

 the worm, it must be a sweet morsel to those rav- 

 enous animals and insects which live by plunder. 



The silk-worm is subject to six diseases, which 

 frequently prove fatal to thousands of their race. 

 The first disease I shall treat of is the Lusette. 



They are generally attacked in the fifth age by 

 this disease. It generally arises from want of atten- 

 tion, and a scanty supply of proper food. When af- 

 fected by it, the body of the worm has a shining ap- 

 pearance, and the head becomes much enlarged. The 

 stomach on dissection is found full of a transparent 

 fluid. The proper remedy is to seperate the infected 

 from the sound worms, and give them a full supply of 

 fresh leaves. They should, however, not be fed 

 to the full immediately, but the leaves given in 

 small parcels at first; otherwise, a disease pre- 

 cisely the reverse will be the consequence. 



The next disease is denominated the Grasserie, 

 the reverse of the former. This disease is brought 

 on by feeding the worms too liberally on young and 

 tender leaves. The period at which they are most li- 

 able to it is in the third and fourth ages, when they 

 begin to eat voraciously. Affected with this disease, 

 the worm becomes dyspeptic, appears dull, while its 



