10 COMPLETE INSTRUCTION IN 



arrives, the worms burst a little hole in each 

 shell, and crawl out head first. They immedi- 

 ately seek for food. The great cycle of silkworm 

 life (i.e., from the egg to the egg again) is from 

 thirty-six to forty-six days. When about four 

 days old, they pass into a kind of sleep, called 



Beginning of Second Age. , End of Second Age. 



molt, in which condition they remain twenty- 

 four hours, when they are said to molt, that 

 means, throwing off the entire old skin. They 

 first throw off the head-covering, and then crawl 

 out of the body skin, which remains attached to 

 the leaves or tray where they were when resting 

 during the molt, or slumber. While in the first 

 molt, worms look like little bits of rusty wire. 



As they come out of the comatose state, the 

 body is a silvery gray, and the head a light 



Beginning of Third Age. End of Third Age. 



brown. This is the second age. Very soon after 

 molting they require food. They continue to 

 grow rapidly for five days more, and then again 



