FEEDING, CARE AND ATTENTION. 77 



necover any lost worms. After each and every succes- 

 sive change, their appetite increases daily more and 

 more, but gradually diminishes as their change ap- 

 proaches. 



2d Age. The silk-worm now awakes hungry ; but 

 let those which awake too soon, still hunger, till all are 

 awake, that all may be equal ; they have now become of 

 a dark ash color ; feed them for about two days with 

 branches, and with young leaves and branches, or older 

 leaves torn fine, when they will grow torpid and are not 

 to be disturbed. The litter during this stage is to be 

 often removed. You may bait the silk-worms to any 

 corner of the hurdle by a few leaves when you choose, 

 for the purpose of sweeping the litter. Or you may 

 remove them to other shelves or hurdles on branches. 



3d Age. Continue feeding the silk-worms with full- 

 grown leaves. The silk-worms are now of a light gray 

 color, and the mouth with which they saw their food is 

 changed in color, white and soft, but soon becomes 

 hard and black, continually growing harder with every 

 successive change. Place over them the hurdles of 

 twine netting covered with leaves, and they will all pass 

 upwards ; or remove them on leaves. Clear the litter 

 often once a day at least. 



4th Age. In this age the silk-worms are of a whitish 

 flesh color, except the spotted species called tigres, 

 their head and body has become enlarged. Their appe- 

 tite becomes voracious. The coarsest leaves are now 

 greedily devoured. 



5th Age, and last. Their color has now become of 

 a dusky gray with a reddish hue, they continue how- 

 ever growing whiter for about seven days, when they 

 gradually become of a yellow color, their backs become 

 shining, and their mouths of a red color. Bags of 

 leaves are now introduced and distributed ; they now 

 devour incredible quantities of full grown leaves : even 

 the coarsest leaves are equally valuable, and night and 

 day they must be fed to the full. Their time now be- 



