16 



slowly, and the plant does not grow quickly. The Ani 

 (Terminalia tomentosa) and the Sdcldra {Terminalia 

 arjuna) have much larger leaves than the preceding shrubs, 

 but they grow very slowly, at all events for the first two 

 years of their existence ; the Ani is the favourite food of 

 the worm in the Konkan. The Nandruk plants planted 

 by me have not thriven well, nor did the worms feed on 

 them this last monsoon, though on the more elevated 

 country from Satara towards the south I have found many 

 cocoons on this tree." 



Mr. Watkins, of Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster, natura- 

 lists of London, has succeeded in raising Tusser worms, I 

 believe, for the first time in England, and has some now 

 feeding on oak leaves ; the evergreen oak appears to be 

 the best. 



In six weeks from the time they are hatched the worms 

 begin to spin their cocoons, which they most curiously 

 suspend from the branches of the trees by constructing a thick 

 hard cord or pedicle of silky matter, exuded before spinning 

 commences, which is made to grasp the branches. (Plate IV., 

 Fig. 1). 



Major Coussmaker remarks that in 1878, in his establish- 

 ment, the first worm was hatched on the 15th June and the 

 last spun its cocoon on the 15th November. 



Tusser silk is found, as will be seen by referring to the 

 map, Plate XXIV., over nearly the whole of India. 



In the Central Provinces, Mr. Geoghegan says, Tusser is 

 utilised in Raipore, Bilaspore, Tumbulpore, the Upper 

 Godavery, Chanda, Bhundora, Nagpore, Balaghat, Seonee, 

 Chindwara, Beetool, and Nursinghpore. Sumbulpore is 

 said to yield 3,500 seers (7,000 lbs.) of silk ; Raipore, 6,000 

 (12,000 lbs.) ; Bilaspore, 900 (1,800 lbs.) ; and Chanda, 

 22,500 (45,000 lbs.). The silk is woven and used in the 

 Provinces in mixed fabrics of cotton warp and Tusser 

 weft. But, at any rate in some districts, muktahs (gar- 

 ments worn by Brahmins after bathing), cholees (women's 

 bodices), and deputtas and dorwas seem to be made of pure 

 Tusser silk. 



Captain Brooke* says : — 



" In Seonee it is a regular organised and thoroughly 

 understood industry, from the rearing of the insects to the 

 weaving of silk into cloth, with all its accompanying 

 machinery of trade guilds, money lenders, &c. This state 

 of things is, in my opinion, no disadvantage ; for, in place 



* Geoghegan, " Silk Industry of India, p. 199." 



