230 THE INSECT WORLD. 
If looked at closely, one remarks a black spot and a brownish 
crescent extending along the circumference. The black spot is the 
head of the worm, which closely touches the shell; the crescent is 
the body, which is already covered with little hairs. When it 
leaves the egg, the silkworm gnaws through the shell on its side, 
never on its flat surface. When the opening is large enough, it 
breaks out through it, head foremost, and immediately fixes a 
thread of silk to any object it can reach, no doubt in order to pre- 
vent itself from falling. Sometimes the opening is too small to 
allow of the head passing out, and the larva is forced to come out 
backwards, that is to say, tail foremost. At times, not being able 
to get its head free, the poor animal very soon dies of fatigue and 
hunger. 
We will now give a summary of the rearing of the silk- 
worm, that is to say, of the attention which must be paid to 
this insect that 1t may construct its cocoon advantageously. We 
will call to our aid in this very rapid summary the works or 
notices of MM. Robinet, Guérin-Méneville, Eugéne Robert, and 
Louis Leclerc, and we must not forget the excellent and classical 
Dandolo.* 
When it is desired to rear silkworms,—magnans, as they were 
called in old French, and as they are still called in the patois of 
Languedoc,—the first thing to do is to obtain good eggs, good grain, 
to use the technical word, and then to choose suitable premises. 
The essential, the fundamental point, in the rearing, is to possess 
premises in which the air is easily renewed. ‘The worms should 
have as much air as possible given to them without ever being 
allowed to be chilled. There is no better means of attaining this 
end than by keeping a constant open fire in a room, and by letting 
air into'the room from another chamber which separates it from 
the open air. One has, in this way, the best workroom for a small 
rearing. 
In the workshop are arranged racks, by the aid of which are 
* «TJ, Art d’elever les Vers a Soie, par le Comte de Dandolo, traduit par Philibert 
Fontaneilles.” In 8vo. Lyons, 1825. Robinet, ‘“‘ Manuel de l’Kducation des Vers a 
Soie.” In 8vo. Paris. (Guérin-Méneville et Eugéne Robert, ‘“ Manuel de l’Hduca- 
tion des Vers a Soie.” In 18mo. Paris. Louis Leclere, ‘ Petite Magnanerie.” In 
18mo. Paris. 
