BOMBTCTD.T — STLK-WORM MOTHS. 235 



Tho maniifacturo of silk lias hoo.n known in Tnflia from 

 time inmHMiiorial, it Ixnn*^ mnntionefl in tiio ol'If-Jt. Sans<Tit 

 books.^ It is the o]iinion of modern writcir.s, however, that 

 the culture of the Silk-worm passed from China into India, 

 thence throuf^h Persia, and then, after the lapse of several 

 centuries, into Kuro|)c. But lono^ l)efore this, wrought silk 

 had been introduced into (Jreece from Persia, ^IMiis was 

 effected by the army of Al(;xander the Great, about tho 

 year 323 b(;fore (y'hrist. 



The Greeks fabhul silk to have first been woven in tho 

 Island of Cos by Panii)liila, tlu; dau<^hter of Plat(!Os.' Of 

 its true origin they were, in a ^reat measure, i^riorant, but 

 seem to have been positiv^e that it was the work of an in- 

 sect. Pausanias thus describes the; animal and it,s culture: 

 "But the thread, from which the Ceres (an Ethioi)ian race) 

 make garments, is not produced from a tree, but is procured 

 by the followini^ method : A worm is found in their country 

 which the Greeks call Seer, but the Ceres themselves, by a dif- 

 ferent name. This worm is twice as lari^e as a beetle, and, in 

 other respects, resembles spidf^rs wliich weave under trees. 

 It has, likewise, ei^^ht feet as well as the spider. Tho 

 Ceres rear these insects in houses adapted for this purpose 

 both to summer and winter.' What these insects produce 

 is a slender thread, which is rolled round their feet. Tliey 

 feed them for four years on oatmeal ; and on the fifth (for 

 they do not live beyond five years) they f^ive them a f^reen 

 reed to feed on : for this is the sweetest of all food to this 

 insect. It feeds, therefore, on this till it bursts throu«,Hi 

 fullness, and dies: after which, they draw from its bowels 

 a great quantity of thread."'' 



Aristotle seems to have had a much clearer idea of the 

 origin of silk, for he says it was unwound from the jmpa 

 (he does not expressly say the pupa, but this we must 

 suppose) of a large horned caterpillar." The larva he means 

 could not, however, be the common Silk-worm, since it is 

 rather small and without horns. 



Pliny, who, most probably, obtained the most of iiis ideas 

 from Pausanias and Aristotle, was of opinion that silk was 



1 Colebrook, Asiat. Rrg'.arch., v. 01. 



2 Aristotle, v. 17-0. Pliny, ix. 20. 

 ' Pans. Hist, of Ornece, B. 0, c. 20. 

 * Aristot. Hint. An., v. 10. 



