326 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. 
“Tn 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 
above alluded to, after which they picked the mulberry-leaves in the public garden, and aired 
and dried them, in order to feed the worms. rare 
‘‘When the season was over, 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 Resemibles she Aaerioun Luda Mow foveed ve pace esau aes 
likely to compete with the mulberry-silkworm. equally delicate green 
Photo by W’. Saville. Kent, PZ. 5] [Milford-on-Sea 
WHITE PLUME-MOTH 
A very delicate insect. The wings are cleft almost to the base into separate 
feathers, two on the fore wings and three on the hind wings 
Photo by H”, Saville-Kent, F.Z.S8.] [Milford-on-Sea 
INDIAN SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH 
