LEPIDOPTERA. 389 



Chittagong, from Chota Nagpore, and from several of the districts of 

 Bengal. In Bengal I have taken the larva at all seasons of the year, 

 excepting during the cold weather, when the trees constituting its 

 food are useless. It is most abundant, I am informed, in the Bhau- 

 gulpore district, where the cocoons,in their proper season, are collected 

 by cartloads for the manufacture of the BJiaugulpore or Tusseh silk, 

 as it is called, and now so well known. It is not on account of the 

 great size of the larva that it is obliged to take to the under-side of the 

 twigs to enable it to traverse them in search of food (as is [above] stated 

 by Dr. Roxburgh), for it can pass along the twigs in any position when 

 they are strong and thick enough for its powerfully-clenching feet to 

 find sufficient to grip hold of. It is clear, when the larva approaches 

 the ends of the thinner branches and twigs (which it frequently does, 

 having taken it on some so slight that it has been in perfectly pen- 

 dent position), it would be impossible for it to travel with ease to 

 itself in such position as to keep itself upioards ; it therefore prefers 

 taking the under-side of the twig, and passes along it in a sus- 

 pended position, with the aid of its powerful feet ; for it takes 

 some little trouble to make them release their hold when once firmly 

 fixed. 



" I have known the perfect insect make its appearance out of the 

 cocoon in the rainy season in about twenty days. A great deal 

 depends, however, upon the temperature and the state of the atmo- 

 sphere, as to the number of days that are required ere the moth 

 makes its exit from the pupa state. The food of the larva seems to 

 be confined to the leaves of but a few trees : I found it only upon 

 the Bair (Zizyphus jujubri), both wild and cultivated kinds, and on 

 the Badaam, or country almond (Terminalia Gatappa). Mr. Hugon 

 (see Journ. Asiat. Soc. VI. p. 32) states that it feeds, in Assam, not 

 only on the Moonga trees, but also on the former of those mentioned 

 above, and on the Semal (Bombax heptaphyllwii) . Dr. Heifer de- 

 scribes it as being taken upon and from other trees, and these are 

 transplanted on to the Assun (Terminalia alata), but that they feed 

 most commonly in the wild state on the Bair and Semal trees. 

 Mr. Hodgson, again, has discovered that its food is the Saul tree 

 (Shorea robustd) ; since writing which, I have been informed by a 

 friend that in the Midnapore district the larva feeds upon the Saul 

 also. 



" Dr. Heifer (J. A. S. Beng. VI. p. 43) states ' that, according to 

 Michael Atkinson, of Jungypore, this species cannot be domesticated, 

 because the moths take flight before the females are fecundated.' 



