1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 33 



I left (April), they observed that the tree had lost all its foliage, they 

 went to it and found in the surrounding grass and dry leaves, a large 

 number of small cocoons ; these they spun like the eria out of curio- 

 sity and used it with the latter. They took no further notice of suc- 

 ceeding breeds, finding the thing of little present use. I lost a few 

 cocoons which I procured at the time, but have lately seen both the 

 worm and the cocoon, the former is quite different from any other; it 

 is more active, its length is under 1\ inches, the body very slender 

 in proportion to its length, the color reddish and glazed. I could 

 not observe them more particularly, as they were brought to me 

 one evening at dusk : I put them in a box, with the intention of exa- 

 mining them the next morning, but they disappeared during the night, 

 although it was open very little to admit the air. The moth is very 

 much like that of the mulberry, so is the cocoon also in appearance, 

 color and size ; I have questioned many of the natives about this 

 worm, but none had ever seen it before — their opinion of it is that it is 

 a " dewang" (spirit) brought there by the prismater compass and the 

 white flay — this made them call it deifmooga. 



The haumpoltcnee, a caterpiller very common in Assam (and else- 

 where perhaps), may also be mentioned as one of the varieties of the 

 species, although it forms but a very imperfect cocoon : it feeds on 

 most leaves. I have had no opportunity yet of observing it myself ; 

 but am told by the natives that it goes through similar stages to the 

 others ; the worm is about two inches long, of a brown color and 

 covered with hair, the moth of the same color as the mooga moth 

 but only half the size ; the cocoon has this peculiarity, that it is quite 

 transparent, so that the chrysalis can be seen inside ; at one end of it 

 a small opening is left — the cocoon is of a yellow color — it can be 

 spun like the eria cocoon, but the Assamese do not use it, on account 

 of its silk causing a severe itching in wearing. 



I have questioned several Bengalees settled in Assam and who have 

 been at Midnapur, regarding the identity of the mooga and tussur ; 

 they say that the worm is the same, but that at the latter place they 

 are fed on a different tree : the point could be better ascertained by a 

 comparison with the drawings and preserved worms which accompany 

 these remarks. The Burmese envoys who have just left Assam told me 

 that the mooga was unknown in their country previous to the conquest 

 of Assam ; but that it had since been introduced by the Assamese who 

 were carried off and settled in the Burmese territory : the Cacharis also 

 admit that it is not many years since it was introduced into Cachar, 

 (south of the hills.) In Cooch Behar both it and the eria are almost 

 unknown to this day ; the prevailing opinion amongst the natives of 



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