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2. What varieties, &c. ? There are two sorts of worms which 

 people in this part of the country breed ; one large and two 

 smaller, or those of the ordinary size. The large worms' cocoons 

 are larger in size ; they are thrice as large as the cocoons of the 

 smaller or ordinary size. All worms and cocoons are of two 

 colours, white and yellow. 



3. What is the mode, &c.? In the intensity of the cold of 

 the months of Aughran and Pous, i.e., about December and 

 January, the worms here die. People therefore go to the villages 

 in the vicinity of Tumlook, in the district of Midnapore, and to 

 villages near Moorshedabad, for the purchase of worms 

 (within cocoons) in the latter end of Magh and beginning 

 of Falgoon. The worms, confined in cocoons of the smaller 

 or ordinary size, are kept in Jiandis (earthen vessels) made 

 air-tight by some means or other for eight days. On the ninth 

 day, generally, butterflies come out from the cocoons. These 

 butterflies are preserved in large drawers of bamboo, kept 

 on bamboo shelves, in a hut closed up in such a manner aa 

 would protect the worms, &c., from ordinary flies, which are 

 their great enemies. Butterflies then give eggs in the course of 

 one day. The eggs are innumerable of the white colour and 

 very small in size. One butterfly gives upwards of 250 eggs ; 

 and they all die no sooner the eggs are given. On the eighth 

 day young caterpillars come out from the eggs. They are then 

 distributed into the numberless small compartments of the 

 bamboo drawers, each containing about 3, 4, or 5, moths, as 

 they chance to fall in the distribution. Of these moths some have 

 yellow and others white colour. Toot leaves cut into very small 

 particles are given to them every second or third day for their 

 eating. They grow in one month sufficiently developed to spin 

 cocoons. In three days the cocoons are made of the size sent 

 herewith as specimen. Some of these cocoons are kept, from 

 which again the butterflies and eggs are produced. The process 

 described above is repeated ; and at the end of every month 

 and half or so a fresh set of cocoons are produced by the smaller 

 worms. The huts where they are kept are made almost air- 

 proof in the rainy season, and are so closed in all other seasons 

 that no flies can enter therein and destroy the moths. Next, 

 I observe, that the treatment and breeding of the other sort of 

 worms are a little different from what have been described above. 

 The butterflies which come out from the larger cocoons are 

 preserved on a few yards of cloth laid over the bamboo drawers. 

 On the cloth the eggs are given ; and these wrapped in the said 

 cloth, are carefully kept in an air-tight Jiandi (earthen vessel). 

 The handi is not opened, not even touched by anybody, till the 

 fifth day of the month of Maugh next year. By that day the eggs 

 give birth to the moths ; and if they are not hatched by that time 

 the Tiandi is again left closed for a few days more. The time 



