THE AERINDY SILKWORM MOTH. 



131 



>rder ; the inner margins are nearly straight and 

 both the angles are rounded; inferior, or 

 tecond pair, are nearly of the same colour, with a 

 whitish, horseshoe-shaped belt near the centre, 

 >ening on the inner, or slip edge, and enclosing a 

 ^emilunar spot, like that of the first pair ; exterior 

 largins entire, convex, with a somewhat waved, 

 fighter coloured yellowish border. 



Mr Atkinson, who furnished me with the most 

 Interesting parts of the history of Tusseh silkworms, 

 las also contributed most of the following remarks 

 m this species. 



They are, like the common silkworm, reared in 

 domestic state, and entirely fed on the leaves of 

 Palma Christi plant. Their cocoons are re- 

 larkably soft and white, or yellowish ; the fila- 

 lent so exceedingly delicate as to render it imprac- 

 ticable to wind off the silk : it is therefore spun like 

 cotton. The yarn thus manufactured, is wove into 

 coarse kind of white cloth, of a seemingly loose 

 jxture, but of incredible durability, the life of one 

 jrson being seldom sufficient to wear out a gar- 

 lent made of it ; so that the same piece descends 



mother to daughter. 

 <f ' Since I last wrote to you,' says Mr Atkinson, 

 I have reared two parcels of Palma Christi silk- 

 worms, with a view towards winding off the cocoons, 

 nit all my endeavours to obtain cocoons that would 

 off were in vain. I even brought a man from 



