Entomological Society, 4519 



compare the series of phenomena observed in Malta and in India, and to note any 

 differences. It certainly is not unreasonable to anticipate much advantage from the 

 1 Eria,' should the climate permit the establishment of this stranger among us. The 

 Palma-Christi grows readily in Malta, and it will be seen from the statements of the 

 pamphlet how great is the productive power of the worm, and how useful a manu- 

 facture can be derived from its produce, even under the disadvantage of its not being 

 yet 'wound off.' The last sentence quoted from the pamphlet seems particularly 

 worthy of attention. The Maltese, who have made so much of their cotton, will in 

 any case be able to turn to good purpose the durable produce of the Eria worm, and 

 should practical chemistry prove to have in store the solution of the problem, how to 

 wind off the silk without breaking, a new and most profitable channel for exertion 

 will have been opened to the patient and ingenious workers of these Islands."* 



Silk Culture.} 



" At last, after many unsuccessful trials, we have had the good fortune to see the 

 chrysalides hatched in Turin. Our correspondents, persuaded that will is power, were 

 not deterred from the task, but by renewed exertions and successive attempts, have 

 succeeded in their object of importing from Bengal to Turin the precious silkworm of 

 the Indies. 



" Our colleague Signor S. Giseri, so skilful in the rearing of silkworms, charged 

 especially by the Royal Academy of Agriculture, writes us the following: — 'The 

 cocoons delivered to us by you on the 19th of March last, were placed in a dark room, 

 where the mean temperature was kept at 20 centigrammes. I began to despair when 

 I saw a month pass without any result, as at an equal temperature the cocoons of our 

 country take only from 12 to 15 days to bring forth the moth; still the state of the 

 chrysalis was not yet hopeless. The new insects just now come to life are very fine, 

 with large and full wings, of a tawny colour, and having yellow oblong spots. I have 

 already two pairs, which came forth two days since, and three males, which came forth 

 yesterday, and am impatiently waiting for the appearance of their mates. The delay 

 above mentioned was, to say so, providential, as the nourishment of the future worms 

 was not yet ready; the young plants of the Ricinus (Palma-Christi) being only as yet 

 furnished with their hard primitive shoots, although we had planted the seeds during 

 the previous winter. I trust now we shall be able to rear up this new insect, which 

 with so much anxiety, perseverance and outlay, has been brought over alive to 

 Piedmont.' 



" In the meanwhile we have received the intelligence that the Governor of Malta 

 has successfully brought up a brood of them at Valelta. 



" Sir W. Reid informed us, in his last, that he hoped to overcome the difficulties 

 of unwinding the silk from the new worms, by using water slightly alkaline, and, what 

 is perhaps better, water with a small quantity of soap, as the soda might perchance 

 weaken the silk, and also injure its spinning quality. 



* The matter referred to by the editor of the 'Malta Times' has already been 

 published in the ' Journal of the Society of Arts.' It will be found in the number lor 

 March 3rd of the present year, p. 2G3. 



f Translated from the ' Piedmontese Official Gazette.' 



