94 THE AMERICAN SILK WORM. 
Towards the evening of the day on which the moths 
leave their cocoon, an equal number of both sexes should 
be placed in the same cage, and after pairing, the females 
should be kept until they die, which will occur in four or 
five days after their union. The eggs which are stuck to 
the cage with gum, should be scraped off with a wooden, 
or whalebone knife, and then spread in a large pasteboard 
box to dry thoroughly. A ticket, with the date stating — 
when the eggs have been laid, should be put upon the 
box, so as to indicate the day the worm will probably hatch. 
The length of the period of incubation depends entirely 
on the temperature, but in June, the incubation generally 
lasts twelve or thirteen days, while in August the period 
is two days shorter. Eight or ten days after the eggs 
have been laid, they should be placed in the hatching box, — 
- Which should be made of tin, and about three inches long, : 
two inches broad, and one andahalf inches deep. In 
the middle, a narrow longitudinal band of tin should be- 
soldered, and bent so as to form a hook by which the box 
may be hung to some twig or branch. The box should 
be painted, and before it is dry sand should be sprinkled 
over it, so as to make a oe surface upon which the: 
worm can crawl with ease. 
The larve hatch out from five to ten o’clock in the 
morning, and the attendant should be ready at that time 
to piece, = box apar a branch which has its erani 
r La branch of moderate size for four or five days, and 
