362 PET ANIMALS. 



or birds ; some persons, indeed, take the precaution of covering 

 them with a piece of tine gauze, which, upon the whole, is not a 

 bad plan. 



Thus arranged, the eggs must be left until the hatching com- 

 mences, at which time mulberry leaves, if ready, must be given 

 the young worms, or if they cannot easily be procured, lettuce 

 leaves must be given them ; but they will not spin a silk worth 

 looking at on this diet. Trays, made like those already described, 

 must be obtained to receive the larvae or worms as they come into 

 life a precaution necessary to prevent the unhatched eggs from being 

 disturbed by the young worms. The operation of removing them 

 must be performed very gently, by means of a feather or of a camel' s- 

 hair pencil, because the chrysalis at this early period of its ex- 

 istence is exceedingly delicate and tender. The hatching can either 

 be hastened forward or kept back, so as to suit the leafing of the 

 mulberry, by not disturbing the eggs until the leaves are nearly 

 ready. 



The first tint of this insect is darkish, which, however, turns 

 afterwards to a creamy white ; it has on each side, at every joint, a 

 small circle, two half circles on its back, six feet (three on each side 

 near the head), and ten holders (eight in the middle of the body and 

 two near the tail). 



The silkworm suffers four sicknesses from the first period of its 

 existence to the time of beginning to spin, and during each of these, 

 which generally continues about three days, it does not eat, becomes 

 thicker and shorter, and casts its skin. If leaves are given to them 

 once a day before the first sickness, it is sufficient ; after it, until the 

 third, they should be fed twice a day, increasing the quantity of food 

 in proportion to the growth of the chrysalis ; from the third to the 

 fourth periods of sickness they must be supplied with leaves thrice a 

 day, and if the weather is excessively warm, four times at the least ; 

 from the fourth crisis, until they commence their spinning labours, 

 the food must be given very frequently, as they then consume more 

 than in the whole previous time of their existence. 



During the period of this moulting, as the change is called, the 

 worms should be kept in a room where the temperature is not less 

 than from ninety-five to one hundred degrees ; the lower the heat 

 under this, the longer they are undergoing their natural changes. 

 Thirty-two days after hatching they will, if properly managed, have 

 attained their full size. 



Although we have said that lettuce leaves may be given to the 

 silkworms during the first few days, yet as their natural food is mul- 

 berry leaves, they should be provided with it as soon as possible. It 

 must be especially borne in mind, that they must not be fed upon 

 lettuce after they have once been furnished with mulberry leaves, 

 for such a change of food not only disorders, but destroys them. 

 The trays ought to be cleaned out regularly every morning, until 

 the last moulting of the chrysalis, when, as the dirt accumulates 

 much quicker, they require greater attention ; at which period also, 

 they should be kept exposed to the air, particularly if the weather is 



