1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 29 



numbers have been attracted to one place they destroy them with fire ; 

 this they do several times previously to the worms being put on ; the 

 ground under the trees must be kept clear of jungle to make it easy 

 to find the worms that fall down — young trees are preferable until 

 the second moulting. 



To prevent the worms coming to the ground, fresh plantain leaves 

 are tied round the trunk, over the slippery surface of which they can- 

 not crawl. They are removed to fresh trees on bamboo platters tied 

 to long poles. 



Bats, owls, rats, are very destructive at night : in the day the 

 worms require to be constantly watched — crows and other birds being 

 so fond of them, that they lie in wait in the neighbouring trees. 

 An old lady's doze over her morning " canee" (opium), however short, 

 is sure to be fatal to several worms — the goolail which is always at 

 hand often punishes the thief, but the mischief is done. 



Numbers are destroyed in the more advanced stages by the sting 

 of wasps — and by the ichneumon insect which deposits its eggs in their 

 body. These are hatched when the cocoon is half formed : they per- 

 forate it at the side and the chrysalis is found dead : the worms which 

 have thus been stung are known by black marks on their body. Were 

 the people more careful in their management, this would be of little 

 consequence : by making these worms spin apart, the cocoon being 

 formed before the chrysalis is killed, the silk could be saved. 



The worms thrive best in dry weather : but a very hot sunny day 

 proves fatal to many at the time of moulting. At these periods rain is 

 very favorable, thunder storms do not injure them as they do the 

 mulberry worm ; continual heavy-rains, (which are rarer in Assam than 

 in Bengal) are hurtful by throwing them down — showers, however 

 heavy, cause no great damage, they taking shelter under the leaves 

 with perfect safety. The worms during their moul tings remain on 

 the branches, but when about beginning to spin they come down the 

 trunk, the plantain leaves preventing their going further down they 

 are collected in baskets, which are afterwards put under bunches of 

 dry leaves suspended from the roof — they crawl up into these and 

 form their cocoons — as with the Eria several are often joined together. 

 The silk of these they spin instead of winding : above the plantain 

 leaf a roll of grass is tied for those that come down during the night 

 to begin spinning in — after four days the selection of cocoons for the 

 next breed is made and the rest wound off. 



The total duration of a breed varies from sixty to seventy days. 

 The period is thus divided — four moultings, with one day's illness 

 attending each, 20 



