" The worm that gives the common fawn-coloured Moonga 

 silk when fed on the most common plants gives a whitish 

 silk when fed on the leaves on which other worms feed. 

 The plants it feeds on are named and estimated as follows : — 



"No. 1. Champa {Michelia champaca). — The silk pro- 

 duced from the worm feeding on this plant gives the finest 

 and whitest silk, used only by the rajah and great people, 

 and is called cha/m/pa pattea Moonga. The thread is sold 

 at from 11 to 12 rupees a seer (lis. to 12s. per lb.) 



"No. 2. Maizankurra (called also addakurry). The old 

 trees are cut down and the jungle about burnt, and the 

 worms are fed upon the tender leaves of the off-shoots for 

 one year, when the leaves become too old and hard for the 

 worms. Silk is sold at 6 to 7 rupees per seer (6s. to 7s. 

 per lb.). 



" No. 3. Soom (Sarcosiemma brevistigma). — This is the 

 common tree of the vicinity ; the silk from the worms fed 

 on this gives the finest sort of fawn-coloured Moonga. 

 Silk is sold at 3^ to 4 rupees per seer (3s. 6d. to 4s. per lb.) 



" No. 4. Soonhalloo (Tetranthera macrophylla). — This is 

 also a brown silk of inferior quality. This plant is most 

 common in Dhurumpore and about Russa Chokey. 



" No. 5. Digluttee {Tetranthera doglottica). — This is also 

 brown silk of inferior quality, but the worms fed on the 

 leaves of this tree increase much in size. 



" No. 6. Pattees hoonda (Laurus obtusifolia). 



" The worm also feeds on the Kontooloa. 



" The Monga worm gives broods five times a year, and 

 the cocoon is very large, but thin. I could only obtain silk 

 the produce of worms feeding on Nos. 3 and 4, and manu- 

 factured into cheap cloths for the lower classes. 



" In its natural fawn colour it stands washing much 

 better than ordinary silk, keeping gloss and colour till the 

 last."* 



Mr. Geoghegan, on page 114 of his ''Silk Industry of 

 India/ 5 says : — 



The cycle of the insect is thus given : — 



From emergence from the egg~\ „„ , 



to commencement of cocoon J c ^ " 



In the cocoon - - - - 20 „ 



As a moth - - - 6 „ 



In the egg - - - - 10 „ 



Total - 66 days. 

 There are five broods per year. 



* Geoghegan, " Silk Industry of India," p. 25. 



