24 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan. 



4. Okonnee. 



5. Gomarree. 



6. Litta Pakoree. 



7. Borzonolly. 



The worms thrive best and produce most when entirely fed on the 

 palma-christi — it is the only plant which is cultivated purposely for 

 it, there is hardly one ryut who has not a small patch of it near his 

 house or on the hedges of his fields — it requires little or no culture 

 — the ground is turned up a little with the hoe and the seeds thrown 

 in without ploughing ; whilst the plant is young it is weeded once or 

 twice, but it is afterwards left to itself. The plant is renewed every 

 three years. On the leaves of Nos. 1 and 2, worms can be reared 

 entirely, but they do not thrive well upon it, many die even after hav- 

 ing begun the cocoons, and the few of these that are got are small 

 and yield but little. These and the others are only used in the fourth or 

 fifth stage when they are considered to answer quite as well as the 

 palma-christi leaves. The kossool (No. 1) alone can be given alternate- 

 ly with the palma-christi. The whole of these trees are found in the 

 forests, but not cultivated. 



To breed from, the Assamese select cocoons from those which 

 have been begun in the largest number on the same day — generally 

 the second or third day after cocoons have begun to be formed — those 

 that contain males being distinguished by a more pointed end. These 

 cocoons are put in a closed basket and hung up in the house out of 

 reach of rats and insects. When the moths come forth they are allow- 

 ed to move about in the basket for twenty-four hours ; after which the 

 females, (known only by the larger body) are tied to long reeds or canes, 

 twenty or twenty-five to each, and these are hung up in the house. 

 The eggs that have been laid the first three days amounting to about 

 two hundred are alone kept, they are tied in a piece of cloth and sus- 

 pended to the roof until a few begin to hatch — these eggs are white, and 

 the size of turnip seed ; when a few of the worms are hatched, the 

 cloths are put on small bamboo platters hung up in the house, in which 

 they are fed with tender leaves ; after the second moulting they are 

 removed to bunches of leaves suspended above the ground, under 

 them upon the ground a mat is laid to receive them when they fall ; 

 when they have ceased feeding they are thrown into baskets full of 

 dry leaves, amongst which they form their cocoons, two or three 

 being often found joined together. 



The caterpillar is at first about a quarter of an inch in length, and ap- 

 pears nearly black ; as it increases in size it becomes of an orange color, 

 with six black spots on each of the twelve rings which form its body. 



