58 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



my inquiries as to his experience in producing gut from 

 this worm at the expense of how much suffering he 

 only knows. It is but another example of his well- 

 known public spirit, and a further illustration, if any 

 were needed, that the love which an angler bears towards 

 his favorite pursuit fails only with life itself. We try 

 in vain to convey to the uninitiated a conception of its 

 charm to us ; but can the most sceptical refuse to con- 

 cede that there must be something in a matter that can 

 excite and maintain such unimpaired enthusiasm, even 

 when face to face with the Great Unknown ? 

 Dr. Garlick writes as follows : 



" BEDFORD, OHIO, July 17, 1884. 

 " Henry P. Wells, Esq. : 



" DEAR SIK, Your letter finds me very sick, and I at- 

 tempt a reply lying in bed, so please excuse pencil. 



" We have here four native silk-worms the Attaeus 

 cecropia, Attaeus prometheus^ Attaeus luna, and the Atta- 

 eus polyphemus. 



"The Attaeus cecropia spins by far the largest cocoon, 

 and is the one I used in drawing the long silk gut from. 

 The worms (larvae) feed on the leaves of several kinds 

 of trees and shrubs. In swamps is found a shrub known 

 as the 'Button -ball bush' (Cephalanthus occidentalis). 

 Among these shrubs I have found the cocoons of the 

 A. cecropia in great abundance. I gather the cocoons 

 in the fall or winter, male and female, the cocoon con- 

 taining the female chrysalis being much the larger. I 

 keep the cocoons in a cool place until spring, when such 

 trees as the apple and plum are in leaf, on the leaves of 

 which the young worms will feed. The plum being the 

 best for them. 



"About this time the moths leave the cocoons and 



