20O THE CULTURE 



firing fome rufhes, fo as to make a fort of 

 mats, and fix them ail round the fides of 

 your drawer for the moths to lay their eggs 

 on, other ways you muft vifit them oft, 

 and replace fuch as creep from the rufhes. 



On thefe leaves or ru flies the moths will 

 lay their eggs, each moth will lay about 

 four or five hundred, more or lefs, accord- 

 ing to their flrength and fecundity; fo 

 that an hundred females Vv'ill produce about 

 an ounce of eggs. The eggs flick, to 

 whatever the moth lays them on, by a na- 

 tural gum with which they are fmeared ; 

 they are firft of a pale yellow colour, then 

 greenifli, afterwards they grow fomewhat 

 red, and in about four or five days after 

 being laid, they attain a blueifh grey co- 

 lour ; this happens fooner or later, as the 

 weather is favourable ; and of this colour 

 they always remain, unlefs they afterward 

 happen to be damaged by too great cold, 

 heat, or moifrure in keeping them. The 

 eggs which do not get this blueifli colour, 

 but remain yellow, are good for nothing, 

 having not been impregnated by the male. 



When the moths have done laying, or 

 beg'n to lay but flowly, and thofe eggs 

 fmall, you may take them off the rufhes or 



leaver 



