O F S I L K. 17^ 



threads upon attempting to reel them ; 

 therefore, that you may reap the advantage 

 of the worms, it is neceflary that the chry- 

 falis or grub fliould be killed in thofe iilk- 

 balls which you have not leifure to reel off 

 before the time of the moth's piercing them; 

 after having firft made choice of a fafficient 

 number of balls to breed from ; the man- 

 ner of choofmg them I fhall give in 

 the following chapter. But here I muft 

 mention one thing which I had forgotten, 

 and this is, that after the filkworm has 

 begun its firft loofe threads, it generally 

 lets fall a drop or two of moifture, the 

 more in quantity as the feafon has been 

 wet ; at the fame time it evacuates its lafl 

 litter, which is very glutinous and moift; 

 and by thus emptying itfelf before it is in- 

 clofed, it avoids fouling the infide of the 

 iilkpod. 



CHAP. 



