OF SILK. 173 



ball, in winding off its filk, will perhaps 

 not turn once round while ten or twelve 

 yards of filk are drawn out. 



At the end of three or four days the 

 worm has ufually finifhed its ball, in lize 

 and iliape like a pigeon's Ggg j the infiae 

 of it is generally fmeared with a fort of 

 gum of the fame nature with that out of 

 which the filk is formed, and which feems 

 defigned in their natural ftate to keep out 

 the rain, for it refills the wet fo well, affiil- 

 ed by the filk which is round it, that the 

 balls, when put in hot water to reel them 

 off, fwim on the top like fmall bladders, 

 not admitting it within fide unlefs they are 

 imperfeclly formed, or the filk almofl quit^ 

 reeled off. When the filk-ball is finifhed, 

 the filkworm, being now much fliortened 

 and wrinkled, fo that the rings of its body 

 appear very deep, refls a while, and then 

 throws off its fkin -, this is the fifth time 

 of its moulting, though not mxcntioned 

 among its other moults, becaufe it doth not 

 interfere with your management: and 

 now, upon opening the filk-ball, you would 

 fee it in the form of a grulf or chryfalk, in 

 fhape fomewhat like a kidney-bean, but 

 pointed at one end, having a brown fmooth 



fkin 



