168 



Silkworms in India. [ Vol. L 



MUG A. 



Anthercea assama, 1 Westw. 



[ Plate XI. ] 



A semi-domesticated silkworm which is cultivated in the open in the 



Assam Valley, much in the way that tnsser is cultivated in the Central 



ludian plateau; though the muga is somewhat more domesticated than 



the tnsser, its eggs being hatched, and its cocoons spun indoors. 



It is reared on the sum tree {Machilus odoralissima) , and onthQsualu 

 tree {Tetranthera monopetala), but will also feed on the leaves of other 

 trees, e.g., the mezanknri {Tetranthera polyantha), and the champa {Mi- 

 chelia «/>.), upon both of which it is said to have been reared in consider- 

 able quantities in former years, the silk produced by the worms fed on 

 these trees being known as mezaiikuri 2 and champa respectively, and being 

 considered as whiter and of better quality than ordinary muga. 



The insect goes through a regular series of about five generations in 

 the year ; of these, however, ouly two or three are usually reared in Upper 

 Assam, seed cocoons reared during the rains in Kamrup being usually 

 imported for the purpose of rearing the cold season and spring crops of 

 silk in Upper Assam. 



The female moth, after fertilization, either by a male from the same 

 batch of cocoons, or by a wild male from the jungle, lays about 250 eggs; 

 these hatch in from seven days in the warm months to ten days in the 

 cold, in baskets made for the purpose, and generally kept indoors. After 

 they have hatched out, the young are put upon the trees, where they feed 

 in the open on the leaves, and where they are carefully watched by the 

 rearers to protect them from the attack of their various enemies, such as 

 crows, kites, and other birds, bats, wasps, ichneumonidse, and ants. The 



1 The following is the synonymy of the species : — 



Saturnia assamensis, Heifer, Journal, As. Soc. Beng., VI, 1837. 

 Satumia assama, Westw., Cab. or Ent., 1848. 

 Anthercea assama, Walker, Cat. Lep. Het. B. M., 1855. 

 Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus., E. I. C„ 1859. 

 Wamford Lock, Journ. Soc. Arts, 1880. 

 Wardle, Wild Silks of India, 1881. 

 Stack, Silk in Assam, 1884. 

 Kondot, L'art de la sole, 1887. 

 According to the above, Heifer's name of assamensis should be adopted, if it were not 

 that the insect is so widely known under the name assama that any change of the kind would 

 simply produce unnecessary confusion. 



2 The silkworm which produces mezankuri silk has been distinguished by Moore, under 

 the name of Anthercea mezankooria. There appears, however, to be no reason to suppose that 

 it is in any way distinct from the ordinary mug a, the difference in the silk produced by it 

 being on all sides admitted to be due entirely to the difference in food. 



