80 



and an inch, or an inch and a quarter asunder, answer 

 admirably ; the front one should be elevated an inch, 

 that the insects may find a passage upwards from be- 

 neath. Three hurdles placed together in this mode 

 will form two spaces, which the silk-worms soon find 

 and fill. 



Hurdles of the twine netting are found to prove too 

 smooth to enable the silk-worm to attach firmly the co- 

 coon : They might however answer well if placed oppo- 

 site a hurdle of rough sawn laths and at an inch dis- 

 tance. 



Hurdles twelve or fourteen inches wide, and three 

 feet long, are formed of four strips of inch square boards. 

 The bottoms of these are covered with very narrow 

 sawed laths, with spaces of about half an inch asunder. 

 Two of these are placed together and secured by hooks ; 

 the space left between the hurdles being but an inch. 

 Were the space greater than this, dupions, or double 

 cocoons would be formed, which are considered of but 

 little value ; these being formed by the united labors of 

 two silk-worms, can never but with difficulty be reeled. 

 But the space being thus reduced to an inch, two silk- 

 worms will seldom or never unite to form dupions, as 

 they find not sufficient space. These thus connected, 

 are placed edgewise or a little inclining, at each end of 

 every hurdle. When filled, they are opened, and the 

 cocoons are readily and quickly separated from the hur- 

 dles, with no rubbish or broken leaves adhering, and 

 with great saving of time. It usually requires the in- 

 sect from four to seven days to form the cocoon. 



During the first day the insect forms a loose oval 

 structure of thin irregular coarse threads called floss. 

 Within this structure during the three following days, it 

 forms the silken ball, not however in concentric circles, 

 but by irregular movements backwards and forwards in 

 spots. The silken fibre is covered with a gum which 

 contributes to exclude the water. 



Sometimes even after its ascent among the branches, 



