396 ON THE CULTIVATION OF SILK IN TASMANIA. 



tending beyond from four to eight days. The moths are quiet, seldom 

 attempting to fly from the apartment in which they are reared. The 

 silk is so exceedingly delicate and glossy that it is impracticable to wind 

 it off, it is therefore spun like cotton, and the thread thus manufactured 

 is woven into a coarse kind of white cloth, of a loose texture, but of 

 surprising durability, the life of one person seldom being sufficient to 

 wear out a garment made from it, the same piece descending from 

 mother to daughter. It is not only used for clothing but for packing 

 light clothes, &c. Some manufacturers in England to whom it was 

 shown, seemed to think that it could be made there into shawls 

 equal to any received from India. For some time it was thought 

 that this species could be acclimatised in France, but at length after 

 many efforts it has been deemed right to abandon the attempt on account 

 of the climate. In fact, this industry only flourishes in warm countries 

 where the Ricinus is not killed by frost in winter. After experiments 

 tried upon an extended scale, the culture of this silk-worm has proved 

 successful in the Canary Islands. 



Mixed Breed. — Guerin Meneville has succeeded in raising a mixed 

 breed, between Ricina and a Cynthia, which have partly overcome the 

 early hatching of the former silk-worm, and may in the end prove hardy 

 enough to brave the French climate. 



Attacus Hesperus (Linn.) — This species is a native of Cayenne, where 

 it feeds in its natural state on a plant which bears the name of the cafi 

 (liable. Michlez discovered that the Ailanthus suited it still better, and 

 that it developed itself perfectly upon this tree. It does not, however, 

 succeed in France, because it hatches at a season of the year when all 

 vegetation is arrested. 



Attacus aurota is also a silk-bearing species from Surinam, where it 

 feeds on the leaves of the orange tree, and there are several other silk- 

 producing moths of this genus from both North and South America, 

 which however have not been domesticated. 



Attacus Atlas (Linn. 1767). — This is the largest of all known lepi- 

 dopterous insects. It inhabits China, North and South India, Ceylon, 

 Burmah, Java, &c. In China the larva feeds on the leaves of the 

 Molakka (Pliylanthus Emblica), and it is said that the Chinese Tusseh 

 silk is obtained from its cocoon. 



Attacus Edwardsii ("White, 1859) is distinguished from A. Atlas by 

 its intensely dark colour. 



Attacus Guerini (Moore, 1859) is the only other Eastern species of 

 this genus, and is named in honour of the gentleman who has especially 

 interested himself in the introduction of new silk worms into Europe. 



Anthercea paphia (Linn. 1767). — Satumea mylitta (Drury, 1733). 

 This is a native of N. E. India, Silhet, Assam, S. India, Ceylon, and 

 Java. It feeds upon the leaves of the RJiamnus jujuba (Byer of the Hin- 

 doos) Terminalia or glabra, Roxb. (Assan of the Hindoos). Colonel 

 ">ykes also adds that it feeds also on the teak (Tectona grandis') and the 



