568 SERICULTURE 



of a gummy substance. These are placed on trays in light airy 

 sheds to hatch out. The caterpillars resulting, at first blackish 

 or obscure, become a paler tint in about 10 days, finally becoming 

 yellow when about 4 weeks old and ready to spin. 



SPINNING. Before commencing to spin the caterpillars fast 

 for 36 hours, void all their excrements, become soft and flaccid and 

 seek a suitable spot for the construction of their cocoons. Two or 

 three days are occupied in the operation of spinning the latter, and 

 the thread of a single cocoon is sometimes 900 yards in length. 

 The process of spinning is effected by passing the thread through 

 two small holes (spinerets) in the head of the worm, which by 

 a combined movement of the mouth and front legs unites the 

 filament into one, binding it closely together by a gummy liquid. 

 The cocoon finished, the worm then undergoes metamorphoses, 

 that is, it changes into the chrysalis or pupa state. In about two 

 or three weeks the moth, under natural conditions, emerges by 

 forcing its way through the cocoon. The males appear first, 

 then the females, the former being comparatively active in their 

 movements ; they proceed at once to pair, and both live but 

 a few days, the females meantime laying their eggs and thus 

 completing the life cycle. Under the artificial conditions of seri- 

 culture, however, the moth is not permitted to emerge from the 

 cocoon, as in doing so the latter is seriously damaged, both 

 by the act of piercing and by the dirt and stain left behind. 

 Therefore in order to obviate this the pupae are destroyed by 

 heating the cocoons in an oven or by crushing. 



The indispensable conditions for successful sericulture are 

 cheap labour and a plentiful supply of suitable food for the worms. 

 In Italy and other silk-producing countries it is essentially a 

 cottage industry, carried on mainly by women. Efforts have been 

 made from time to time to establish sericulture as an industry in 

 Ceylon, it being considered an occupation peculiarly adapted to 

 the peasants. The question of culture has in itself proved suc- 

 cessful, and as a result of experiments excellent commercial 

 samples of both the mulberry and eri cocoons have been produced. 

 But hitherto the people have not shown much enthusiasm in the 

 new venture. The chief obstacle in the way is probably the fact 

 that the destruction of the chrysalis in the cocoon, by whatever 

 means, constitutes an offence against the Buddhist religion. To 

 obviate this there are two alternatives : (1) to allow the mulberry 

 moth to mature and emerge from the cocoon, and dispose of 



