SPINNERS AND WEAVERS 9 



with which, conceaHng them in hollow canes, 

 they hastened to Constantinople, where they 

 speedily multiplied, and were subsequently intro- 

 duced into Italy, of which country silk was long a 

 peculiar and staple commodity. It was not culti- 

 vated in France until the time of Henry IV, who, 

 considering that mulberries grew in his kingdom 

 as well as in Italy, resolved, in opposition to the 

 opinion of Sully, to attempt introducing it, and 

 fully succeeded " (Kirby and Spence). 



There are several silk-producing moths of larger 

 size of which great hopes in a commercial sense 

 have been held, but, with the exception of certain 

 Indian species which supply the Tussore silk and 

 Eri or Arindy silk, the results have been somewhat 

 disappointing. These big silkworms belong to a 

 family different from that which includes the 

 Silkworm. They are more closely related to our 

 own Emperor Moth (Saturnia carfini), whose 

 beautiful green-and-pink caterpillar spins an ela- 

 borate cocoon that has long been famous among 

 insect structures. The upper part of this cocoon 

 is so contrived by the untaught caterpillar that its 

 exit when it becomes a moth will be easy, whilst 

 entry on the part of any intruder will be the reverse. 

 At this upper part the cocoon is not closed, but 

 tapers to a point formed by straight silken hairs con- 

 verging. These may be pushed against from outside 

 without yielding, but very slight pressure from 

 within will serve to separate them and reveal the 

 opening. At a little distance inside this structure 



