36 



1. The varieties of cocoons obtainable in this district are burra 

 polloo (annual) , madrassie, and dasee and China (monthly). 



2. They are fed on mulberry leaves, and the quantity of silk 

 produced from a maund of cocoons of passable quality is 2 seers 

 12 ehittacks to 2 seers 4 chittacks, 2i to 2, 2i to 2, 2 to 2, 

 respectively. Specimens of silk and cocoons will be forwarded in 

 due course when the cocoons come to maturity, except the burra 

 polloo, which is an annual, and the cocoons won't be in before 

 the middle of March. I may as well also add that eggs of the 

 burra polloo were sent to Captain Hutton, Mussoorie, and he got 

 two crops of cocoons, whilst in Bengal such a thing is unknown. 



3. I think it will be impossible to send eggs from the monthly 

 cocoons to New South Wales, as they will hatch on the voyage, 

 and will die for want of food. 



MEMOBAISDITM regarding certain kinds of Indian silk-yielders, 

 domesticated and wild, for introduction into Australia, by 

 Captain Thomas Hutton, corresponding Member of the Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society of India. 



WITH regard to Dr. Bennett's inquiries, I begin by noticing 

 the confusion among the names of the species of silkworms 

 required for Australia. 



1. The name of Bombyx Arracanensis (Nobis) was given only 

 provisionally (not Arracauniris) to the Arracan worm, which may 

 probably prove to be either B. posi or B.fortunatus. 



2. The wild silkworms. The eria or arindy worm, which feeds 

 on the castor oil plants at Dinapore (? Dinagepore) and Rung- 

 pore, is the domesticated Attacus ricini. The wild Attacus cynihia 

 is a distinct species, found at Mussooree and eastward to Cachar, 

 feeding on various trees and shrubs, and now largely cultivated 

 both in France and in England, where it is reared upon the 

 Chinese tree ailantJius glandulosiis, which grows well in any soil ; 

 this worm, or Attacus ricini, has already been introduced into 

 some parts of Australia ; at Mussooree A. cynthia is common upon 

 several trees and is an annual. Cocoons would only be safe in 

 the cold weather. 



3. The tusseh (not Jusseh) : The Bughy of Beerbhoom, and the 

 Rolisurra of the Deecan, are one and the same species, or 

 antheroea paphia (not pappia). 



4. The Kootkooree Mooga of Assam : The mooga of Assam, 

 feeding on the Soom (not Loom) , and the Mezankooree of Assam, 

 are all the same, or Antheroea Assama. These different names 

 bsing applied by the natives to different qualities of cocoons and 

 silk; in Beerbhoom the same distinction is made with the silk 

 and cocoons of the tusseh. 



