380 CATALOGUE OF 



the sea, with a southern aspect. Some of the caterpillars were of a 

 large size, and nearly full-grown at this time, whilst others were in 

 all their intermediate stages of growth. The caterpillar is of a pale 

 yellowish cream-colour, mottled or marbled down the back and sides 

 with a mixture of grey, yellow, and rufous or brownish lines ; the 

 anterior segments of the body are mottled above with livid grey, and 

 ornamented with four blackish oblong spots or ocelli placed obliquely ; 

 along the back are two rows of long black spines curving backwards, 

 and on the anal segment is one long spine in the middle ; the two 

 anterior pair of spines spring from the ocelli, and the last pair are 

 curved forwards instead of backwards like the rest ; there is also on 

 each side a row of short spines springing from the base of the true 

 legs. The anterior segments swell up into a hump, like those of the 

 larva of B. Mori. As the caterpillar becomes mature, the rufous 

 colouring fades away, and gives place to a mottling of pale livid grey ; 

 the head is also mottled. It grows to about 2\ inches in length, and 

 spins in the leaf early in May. They are double-brooded, for mine all 

 hatched in June, and deposited their eggs, a few of which produced 

 caterpillars that year ; but the greater number remained until the 

 following spring." — ("West wood's Cab. Orient. Ent.) 



Capt. Hutton, in reply to some inquiries by J. Bashford, Esq. 

 relating to this species, states (Journ. Agri-Horticult. Soc. India, 

 IX. p. 391, 1857), " that Bombyx Suttoni cannot be treated like the 

 domestic kinds, but must (at least for the present) be reared upon 

 the trees. The worms will not remain in the trays, nor even upon 

 twigs placed in water, when once the freshness of the leaf is gone. 

 On the tree it is perfectly free from restlessness, and saves a vast 

 expense in feeding, besides possessing the advantage of always having 

 perfectly fresh food at command, an essential point in forming good 

 silk, as the quality of this substance must always be greatly influenced 

 by the healthy secretions of the animals producing it. 



" Cocoons of B. Huttoni produced in the house from worms placed 

 upon small branches set in jars of water to keep them fresh, are 

 always inferior to those produced upon the trees ; and I doubt not 

 you would find this to be the case with the domestic species in 

 Bengal." 



The Agri-Horticultural Society of India has lately reported most 

 favourably on the silk of this species, which has been brought into 

 notice by Capt. Hutton. The worm spins in all weathers, whereas 

 the common silkworm (JB. Mori) is apt to be thrown off work by a 

 passing cloud. It is thought that this new silkworm may prove 



