34 



the eggs take in giving birth to the worms is generally one year. 

 These moths are kept for thirty-two to thirty-six days in the 

 manner described above. They then become sufficiently old to 

 prepare their cocoons in three days. The quality of silk pro- 

 duced by both sorts of insects is nearly the same. These gene- 

 rally produce silk in the month of Chaitra ; and Chaitra silk of 

 the smaller worms of white color is whiter than the silk of other 

 months. Large cocoons could not be procured by me ; a few of 

 the smaller ones, together with two skeins of silk produced there- 

 from, are herewith submitted as specimens. 



4. Is there any difficulty, &c. ? Cocoons can be easily sent 

 from the places mentioned above, from which people of this part 

 of the country procure them in Magh and Falgoon, to Australia 

 or other distant places in the manner indicated in the memo- 

 randum annexed to the Government letter. 



5. Cocoons and eggs should be sent in Magh and Falgoon, i. e., 

 part of January, the whole of February, and part of March every 

 year. 



6. Price of the silk sent herewith is rupees 14 per seer of 80 

 tolahs. 



7. The annexures to your memorandum are herewith sent back. 



Prom J. H. HENDEESON, Esq., Deputy Collector, for Collector 

 of Burdwan, to the Commissioner of the Burdwan Division 

 (No. 548, dated Burdwan, the 15th December, 1869.) 



SIB, 



In answer to your letter No. 134, dated 25th September, 

 1869, calling for a report on the mode of treating silkworms and 

 cocoons, I beg to lay before you the following statements : 



1. No silkworms are obtainable in the E-aneegunge sub-division. 

 Silkworms are imported from Maunbhoom into Bood-Bood and 

 Ausgram, and from the silk produced by them tusser cloth is 

 manufactured. In Cutwa the trade in silkworms is carried on 

 on a limited scale, the domesticated polloo being introduced there. 

 In Katoogram the varieties are the domesticated chukkan, the 

 neto, and the madrassie. In Cu]na the burra and chota polloo are 

 imported. 



2. The cocoons of the domesticated, otherwise called the chota 

 polloo, are imported from Beerbhoom. They are placed in open 

 baskets in a warm dry room. In cold weather the moths emerge 

 on the eleventh or twelfth day, in hot weather on the eighth or 

 ninth day. The males and females at once copulate ; and after 

 the lapse of three or six hours the males are taken away and die. 

 The females are put on flat baskets, and the eggs are laid during 

 the night. The eggs are hatched on the eleventh or twelfth day 

 in cold weather, and the eighth or ninth in hot weather, and the 

 caterpillars are fed on the leaves of the mulberry-tree, On the 



