27 



20 or 25 rupees a seer and is more valuable than any other, 

 partly on account of its whiteness, partly its fineness, and also 

 from the fact that but one crop is obtainable in the year, which 

 makes it scarce. The fabric woven from it niucli resembles the 

 "tusseh" silk of Bengal, and the worm is, I believe, identical 

 with that from the silk of which " tusseh" is made. 



There is another description of pat called the chota, or small 

 pat, the culture of which is the same, but the silk is not quite so 

 good. It is but little reared. 



Eria, Erie, JUrie, HJree, Arrea, or Arindee (PJial&ua cynfhin). 

 The treatment of this worm is similar to that of the pat pooloo, 

 except that it is fed on the castor-oil plant instead of on the 

 mulberry. It yields a coarser silk than either the pat or 

 moogah, and is cultivated generally by lower-caste Hindoos, 

 Cacharies, and Meekirs. It is reared entirely in the house, and 

 the duration of its existence is from six to eight weeks, less in 

 the hot than in the cold weather, and its produce is better in 

 quality and quantity in the former than in the latter season. 

 Cocoons for breeding are selected in the same manner as are 

 moogah cocoons, and for the rest they are treated much as are 

 pat pooloos, except that so much care and attention to cleanli- 

 ness are not necessary. When the worms are rather old (after 

 the second moulting) they are generally induced to crawl into 

 bundles of leaves suspended from the roof, which saves the 

 trouble of feeding in trays. They are allowed to form cocoons 

 in bundles of dry leaves. There are said to be seven breeds in 

 the year. The thread of the " erie" silk is worth from 2 to 3 

 rupees per seer, and the fabric made from it, which is warm, 

 thick, and durable, fetches about 14 or 15 rupees for a piece 15 

 feet by 4| feet. This worm is found in Bengal. 



KootJcoori or Kootlcoori Moogah is a wild species of silkworm 

 found in the jungles of Upper Assam ; no use is made of its silk, 

 and the natives say that it is in fact worthless. 



MeganJcoori is the name given by the Assamese to the produce 

 of the moogah when fed on the adakoori-tree instead of the 

 soom. The silk of the adakoori fed worm is lighter in colour 

 and therefore more highly valued. Among worms fed entirely 

 on the soom, however, some will always produce lighter coloured 

 silk than others, and this, being set apart, is generally called 

 " niegankoori." There is no distinct insect known by that name. 

 Thejoree is not known to any of the district officers. 



