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SILK WORMS OF North-America. 



298 



4 



July 2. They left olf feeding the fourth time, and on 

 the 5th parted with their fourth covering, after eating 

 which, and reftiog asufual, they continued to feed on the 

 leaves. 



It is remarkable every change they undergo adds frellt 

 beauty to the worms, and in every new drefs, they appear 

 with more gaudy colours and lively ftreaks. 



J' 



'Ma 



^ 



gan to wander about in fearch of a proper place to fpin. There- 

 upon I got ilicks, in which I fixed a number of pegs for 



the greater conveniency of the worms; though they can 

 fpin in any place, where they have or can form an angle 

 for their webs. After wandering about fome time, they 

 fixed at laft and began to fpin in a curious manner, 



Julj 23. Two left oif feeding; thefe I placed on the 

 racks 1 had made, which I fixed in glafs bottles to prevent 



the worms from getting off: For I found they were apt to 

 ramble greatly before they could fix on a place to their lik- 

 ing, if they were not fufFered to fpui among the leaves 

 they feed on ; in which cafe they begin to fpin foon after- 

 they leave off feeding. But I did not like to fuffer this, 

 as they feemed fond of drawing bits of twigs and leaves 

 into their ncfts, which muft obftrud the unwinding the 

 filk. One of them fpun on the rack, the other got to the 

 window and fpun in the angle of that. 



July 24, Five left off feeding; and having w^andered 

 about all night, began early next morning to fpin. In like 

 manner the reft of my worms, as faft as they arrived at a 

 ftate of maturity, daily applied themfelves to fpinning or 

 wrapping themfelves up in cocoons. 



Augtiji 10. The laft worm left off feeding, and like the 

 reft wrapped itfelf up, in which ftate I exped they will 

 all remain, until May next, when each of them, I hope? 

 will produce a beautiful fly. 



It feems ftrange there fliould be an interval of no lefs 

 than nineteen days between the time the firft and laft worm 

 began to fpin, though they were all hatched withixx three 



or 



