4518 Entomological Society. 



The Eria Silkworm of Assam* 



" Some time since, our contemporary the ' Mail' published the contents of a 

 pamphlet consisting of extracts from the 'Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal' 

 on the silkworms of Bengal. The idea of introducing into Malta one of the species, 

 viz., the Eria, or Phalaena Cynthia, of Assam, was then already started; hut it was 

 still a question whether the very first step of the introduction could be successfully 

 accomplished. It is now known that this difficulty has been overcome; that eggs 

 have been brought, worms hatched, fed on the leaves of the castor-oil plant, have spun 

 their silk shrouds, and gone through all the processes of their mysterious existence 

 round to the egg again, in a room of the Palace of St. Antonio. 



" ' The subjoined memorandum, which we are authorised to publish, states the 

 different stages of this process, the dates and appearance of the changes, and, in short, 

 all the leading phenomena of the case: — 



" ' Through the laudable efforts of Mr. Piddington, of Calcutta, aided by the 

 directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company, after many unsuccessful 

 attempts, his Excellency the Governor has succeeded in obtaining sound eggs of the 

 Assam silkworm, called in that country the Arrindy, Aria or Eria, and by naturalists 

 the Bombyx Cynthia and also Phalasna Cynthia. These eggs, which arrived in Malta 

 on the 2nd December, 1853, having been placed under the care of Dr. Frendo, M.D., 

 at St. Antonio, produced upwards of 600 worms. The first which were hatched died 

 apparently from cold. But after a fire was kept in the room, and the temperature at 

 between «58° and 68 w of Fahrenheit's thermometer, very few died, and latterly none. 

 These worms were fed exclusively on the leaves of the castor-oil plant, the Ricinus 

 communis of botanists. 



" ' On the 18th January some were observed to change their colour, and became of 

 a light yellow. 



" * On the 23rd January they underwent their second change ; they then assumed a 

 bluish green colour. 



" ' On the 28th January they commenced to undergo their third change. 



" ' On the 6th February they began the fourth mutation. 



" ' On the 8th February the first cocoon was observed. 



" ' On the 11th March fires in the room were left off. 



" ' On the 16th March the worms were in the state of chrysalis. 



" ' On the 12th April the first moth appeared, and 



" ' On the 17th April they began to lay their eggs. 



" ' By the 7th of the present month the greater part of the moths died, after 

 depositing their eggs, the average duration of their lives having been about 14 days. 

 Twelve cocoons weighed 4 drachms and 25 grains : the average weight of a cocoon 

 according to this is l-12th of a grain.' " 



"We have just been informed (May 9) that some of the eggs are hatched this 

 day. 



" In addition we republish, extracted from the above pamphlet, all the portion of 

 it relating to the Eria worm. It may be useful for those interested in the subject to 



* From the ' Malta Times. 



