226 
on a thin piece of board, by putting - extremities into slits i in the end 
the sun 
P dry. Thus genuine silk gut i had in Spain rom the manner 
n which it is dried the ends are 5 aka more or less compressed or 
sttetinated 
Ina Furio report, dated 23rd July 1867, Mr. Swinhoe Mense 
s the te Office the following notes on the Chinese Liquidambar 
ilkw: 
ks Ne ear Fdi end of June small boys are xd » wateh under the trees 
for the worms to descend, lowering themse on their own — 
They do not come down until Hr are re Vr to spin. Ass a 
worm descends it is at once caught and broken, ur e csilkcgut tide 
and then extracted, steeped in pom washed a The 
small boys are always provided with vinegar ir alor wis in the 
capture, as the operation brooks of no delay. the worms are kept at 
all the gut is useless and will not draw. Each gut, if properly managed, 
_will draw out to 20 or 30 feet. The gut is ae in a shady place, 
aid i is then rolled up and considered et? for 
e specimens so far received of this s diee consist of cocoons 
to it fr 
I it een impossible detirialas i ese al t 
may possibly be Attacus Pernyi, bu imago or mature insect is 
necessary to settle the point. The cocoons sent Mr. nhoe are 
attached to the bark of a tree, and are of a dul] grey colour. The upper 
"Ur end forms a natural orifice for the exit of the moth, and hence 
the cocoons are not closed like those of the ordinary silkworm. It is 
posible that the silk from these open Chin nese cocoons, as anticipated 
by Mr 
Mr. Swinhoe, 'These unfortunately were ee by the Secretary 
of State to be returned to the Foreign Office in 1868 for the informa- 
tion of the Board of Trade. Mr. Swinhoe stated that the fabric to 
which he refers as “ ‘cr pongee’ could not meet the deman 
** the stuff eventually got out of fashion, though many still wear it [in 
.* 1867] at Chaochowfoo.” He adds, “ it is mostly spun for home use and 
“ for trade on special dem ed. 
In a letter addressed to Kew, dated Foochow, May 31, 1892, Mr. F. 
eet ma Thomas evidently refers to the silk-gut from the same insect as 
oll 
i 
Would it be asking too much of you to give me your views upon the 
probability of prier this commodity into use in England for a 
similar purpose . 
** It seems so strong and serviceable that there should be an opening iu 
England if some one would take the matter u 
“1 beg to thank you for fn assistance you can afford me. It costs 
about 6s. 6d. to 7s. per poun 
essrs. Charles Farlow ^ ~ Fishing Tackle Manufacturers, 191, 
trand, to whom Mr. Thomas’ specimens were referred, state that the 
i b- 
^ at” they use is from the ordi rm, and it nly be o 
tained (exactly as they wish E from Spain- E hinese gut they 
d be as “very similar to what we have seen many years ago, perhaps 
* not quite so brittle. It could not be iso for debis ng purposes, and 
rpose it could be used." 
^ we do not know for what pu 
