1887.] On the indigenous Silkworms of India. 39 



The Sicilians in the time of Roger the first, became a wealthy 

 people by its introduction into Palermo — the Venetians were enabled 

 by the trade of silk chiefly, to build their immortal maritime bulwark, 

 and in our days the introduction and manufacture of silkworms is 

 a source of unlimited riches to the countries of Europe, where it is 

 cultivated on a large scale. 



To elucidate this it may be observed, that France alone exported 

 in the year 1820, wrought silk to the value of more than 123 millions 

 of francs. 



The importation of raw and worked silk into England, amounted to 

 4,547,812 pounds in the year 1828, of which about 1,500,000 pounds 

 were brought from Bengal, 3,047,000 pounds were, therefore, brought 

 from foreign countries, chiefly Italy and Turkey. 



The northern parts of Europe and chiefly England are less suited 

 for its cultivation on account of climate. 



Great Britain, France and Germany, finding by experience, that the 

 demand is constantly greater than the supply, resorted to different 

 substitutes. 



Different substances presenting analogies to that beautiful filament 

 were examined. The spider's web was tried in France, first by Mr. 

 Bon : but Mr. Reaumur found that the war-like propensities of the 

 Arachnidce hindered their being reared in great numbers, and this 

 enterprize has been in our days entirely abandoned. 



Men resorted to the Mollusca and found that the maritime pinna 

 gives a filament like silk, having the power to produce a viscid matter 

 which it spins round the body. A beautiful and very durable silk 

 was produced from it, the Byssus of the ancients, but it was always 

 dearer than the common silk of the Bombyx mori, and though to 

 this day caps, gloves and stockings are woven from it in Calabria in 

 Sicily (I saw myself a considerable manufacture of it in Palermo), 

 it will probably remain for ever a matter of curiosity rather than an 

 article of general use. 



In Germany endeavours have been made in the time of Roeset, and 

 recently in Styria, to make silk from the cocoons of the Saturnia pyri, 

 a moth which is common in Austria and in the subalpine parts of 

 the Tyrol and Switzerland : but hitherto the experiments have been too 

 few ; more particularly, as I heard, on account of the delicate cater- 

 pillar, which dies if not fed with the greatest promptitude with the 

 under leaves of different kinds of pear trees. 



A discovery, therefore, which promises to prove not so abortive as 

 those now quoted, must be of the greatest importance. 



The vast provinces of India are rivalled in variety, preciousness 



