724 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



colours, in order to weave chequered sarcenets, 

 comprising black and white, black and green, 

 green and red, with red-and-white checks — 

 all of which was to be done according to 

 the ancient rule, without the least variation; 

 the black, yellow, azure, and red tints were 

 all to be correct and good, without the least 

 fault, in order to provide dresses for the 

 celestial and ancestorial sacrifices, and stand- 

 ards for distinguishing the high and low 

 degrees. 



" In ancient times the emperor and his 

 princes had a public mulberry garden and 

 a silkworm establishment erected near some 

 river. On the morning of the first day of 

 the third month of spring, the sovereign, 

 wearing a leather cap and a plain garment, 

 ascertained by lot the chief of his three 

 queens, with the most honourable amongst his 

 concubines, and caused them to attend to the rearing of the silkworms in the above-named 

 establishment. They then brought the eggs of the worms, and washed them in the river 

 abo\'e alluded to, after which they picked the mulberry-leaves in the public garden, and aired 

 and dried them, in order to feed the worms. 



Fheltky W. Savill,-Ktnt, F.Z.S.] \_Miljord-tn-Sia 



WHITE PLUME-MOTH 



jd 'very delicate insect. The iL'ings are cleft almost to the base into separate 

 feathers^ tivo on the fore luin^s an J three on the hind ivings 



" When the season was o\'er, the royal 

 concubines, having completed the business of 

 rearing the silkworms, brought the cocoons 

 to show them to the prince, when he pre- 

 sented the cocoons again to his consort, 

 whereupon his consort said, ' This is the 

 material of which your highness's robes are 

 to be formed.' Having said which, she 

 covered herself with her robe, and received 

 the cocoons. On this occasion the ladies of 

 the court were honoured with the present of 

 a sheep. This was the mode in which the 

 presentation of the cocoons was anciently 

 conducted." 



In the reign of Justinian eggs of the 

 Chinese mulberry-silkworm were smuggled 

 into Europe by two monks, and the culture 

 of silk rapidly spread through Southern 

 Europe, where it has continued to form 

 a staple industry ever since. In the Pelo- 

 ponnesus especially such large plantations of 

 mulberry-trees were grown for the purpose 

 of rearing silkworms as to give the peninsula 

 its modern name of Morea. Silk is obtained 

 in different parts of the world from the cocoons 

 of various other moths, chiefly belonging to 

 the group of Emperor-moths ; but these pro- 

 ducts are only of local importance, and are not 

 likely to compete with the mulberry-silkworm. 



fA.lo h, IV. S.ivillr-Krnt, F.Z.S.] [Milftri-m-Sia 



INDIAN SWALLOW-TAILED MOTK 



Resembles the American Luna Moth figured on page 'JlSj and of a 

 t'^ually delicate green 



