COMPLETE INSTRUCTION 



IN 



REARING SILKW 



fi ur /i -'SjTY 

 SILKWORMS.V 



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SILKWORMS come from the eggs of the silk-moth 

 (Bombyx mori). The eggs are about the size of 

 mustard seed. When first laid, they are yellow, 

 afterward they change to a dark slate-color. As 

 worms, they have five ages, -4- one as the chrysalis, 

 and one as the miller; so that we may say truly, 

 the silkworm has seven agesA 



When the worms are first hatched from the 

 eggs, they are about an eighth of an inch long, 

 all covered with black hairs, that fall off in a few 

 days. The head is black and shiny. 



When the worms are nearly ready to come out 

 of the shell, by the use of a magnifier the worm 

 may be very plainly seen coiled round the outer 

 edge of the shell. One black spot shows very 

 conspicuously. That is the head of the insect. 

 The eggs are slightly depressed in the center after 

 the vitalized particles concentrate round the 

 outer edge of the eggs to form the bodies of the 

 worms. When the moment of perfect maturity 

 9 



