61 



both to the natives of our Indian Empire and to many 

 manufacturing industries at home. 



" The silk from the specimens of Eria and Muga cocoons 

 worked by my firm is of a most brilliant and rich character, 

 as will be seen from the specimens now exhibited in the 

 Indian section of the South Kensington Museum. Their 

 spinning qualities are quite equal to any of the wild silks 

 from China. 



" What is required is to encourage the natives to collect 

 these waste silks and develop facilities for bringing them 

 to market, and here I may make a few guiding remarks 

 as to the collecting and packing of these products. 



" I may say that waste silk in any form is of value, more 

 especially the large cocoons of the Muga and Eria species. 

 But it should be well understood that, for use as waste silk, 

 no cocoons should be sent to this country with the chrysalis 

 or worm in them. It will be obvious why, when it is 

 stated that the worm or the dust of the worm in the 

 cocoon is of no value whatever, and that the weight of 

 these worms many times exceeds the weight of silk in each 

 cocoon. 



" Pierced cocoons, or cocoons out of which the worm has 

 worked itself, are the most valuable as waste for spinning 

 purposes. But all the classes named above are suitable, 

 and may be collected and forwarded with profit to this 

 country. 



" In collecting and packing these, it is of importance to 

 avoid admixture with any foreign or vegetable matter in 

 the shape of sticks, straw, and dirt, as much as possible. 

 The cleaner the shipments are, the better the prices they 

 will command in our market/' 



Muga silk is much better to dye than either Tusser or 

 Eria ; it takes both the aniline and older dyes very freely, 

 and better colour can be more easily obtained than upon 

 Tusser or Eria silk, and at less cost. I have dyed some 

 beautiful colours upon Muga yarns which came from India, 

 for the Paris Exhibition. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Attacus Atlas. 



The next species I will describe is the Attacus Atlas of 

 Linnreus, which is also known by the following names : — 



