INSECTS IN COMMERCE 133 



Bombyx have been domesticated; the chief being 

 Bombyx mori, the common silkworm. Ages of 

 domestication have deprived the silk Moth of a 

 great deal of its natural strength and power. 

 The caterpillar has become passively docile, and 

 will remain where it is placed as long as it is 

 supplied with food, showing no inclination to 

 wander away. The female moth has completely 

 lost the use of her wings, and the male only 

 uses his to flutter round his companion ; but it 

 has been proved by experiment that if the moths 

 are reared out of doors in a natural condition, 

 after three generations the males regain their 

 lost power and have a strong, vigorous flight. 



The perfect silk Moth is about one inch in 

 length, the female being slightly larger than the 

 male. It is creamy or pale buff in colour, and 

 the wings of the male are tinged with grey or 

 pale brown. The head is large, and the antennae 

 pectinated, or feathery, and are not so well 

 developed in the female. The female silk moth 

 is very sluggish, her sole business being to lay 

 the eggs containing another generation of silk- 

 worms. The eggs vary in number from 300 to 

 700, and are about the size of a pin's head. They 

 are laid singly in little groups side by side, very 

 rarely being placed one on another ; when 

 ejected they are covered with a glutinous fluid 

 which causes them to adhere firmly to the place 

 on which they are deposited. The egg-laying 

 lasts for about three days, and soon after- 

 wards, her mission of life being accomplished, 

 the moth dies. 



During their short life the males are very 



