92 REELING AND MANUFACTURING SILK. 



" 4. The duplon, or double cocoons, are so called, because 

 they contain two, and sometimes three worms. They interlace 

 their threads, and make the silk called dupion. 



" 5. The soufilons are imperfect cocoons, the contexture of 

 which is loose, sometimes to that degree that they are transpa- 

 rent, and bear the same proportion to a good cocoon, as a gauze 

 to a satin. These cannot be wound. 



" 6. The perforated cocoons are so called, because they have 

 a hole at one end ; for which reason they also cannot be wound. 



" 7. The calcined cocoons are those in which the worm, after 

 the formation of the cocoon, is attacked with a sickness, which 

 sometimes petrifies it, and, at other times, reduces it to a fine 

 white powder, without in the least damaging the silk. On the 

 contrary, these cocoons produce more silk than the others, be- 

 cause the worm is lighter. They are to be distinguished by the 

 noise the petrified worm makes when the cocoon is shaken. In 

 Piedmont, they sell for much more than others. It is very 

 rare to see a parcel of 25 lb. of them at a time : 6 lb. 3 oz. of 

 these cocoons have produced 1 lb. fine silk, of five and six 

 cocoons. 



" 8. The good choquette, consists of those cocoons in which 

 the worm dies before it is brought to perfection : they are to be 

 known by the worms sticking to one side of the cocoon, which 

 is easily to be perceived, when, on shaking it, the chrysalis is 

 not heard to rattle. These cocoons are of as fine silk as the 

 others, but they are to be wound separately, because they are 

 subject to furze out, and the silk has not so bright a color, nor is 

 it strong and nervous. 



" 9. The bad choquette is composed of defective cocoons, 

 spotted or rotten ; many of these cocoons may be wound to- 

 gether ; they make very foul, bad silk, of a blackish color. 



" To judge whether a cocoon be good, observe if it be firm 

 and sound ; if it has a fine grain, and the two ends round and 

 strong, and capable of resisting pressure between the thumb and 

 finger. The cocoons of a bright yellow yield more silk than the 

 others, because they have more gum ; but this accounts to the 

 winder only, because all the gum is lost in dying. Pale cocoons 



