DISEASES OF SILKWOKMS. 31 



sometimes with the head turned towards the base. Again, especially 

 in case of gattine, the worm wanders restlessly here and there, seek- 

 ing as it were power to eject the silky matter, but too impotent to do 

 more than throw out a scanty thread to weave a web or veil of a cocoon, 



in which it generally falls and dies. 



Eggs free from disease and capable of resistance to disease are the 

 prime requisite in guarding against flacherie and gattine. The moment 

 some deaths are noticed, proceed as follows: (1) Change beds imme- 

 diately, briskly .shaking the worms; (2) place the worms on disinfected 

 shelves; (3) burn the diseased and suspected worms that do not mount 

 on fresh beds; (4) if possible move the whole rearing to another room 

 previously aired and disinfected, and also aired after disinfection: (5) 

 do not feed during the three or four hours in which the change is 

 being made; (6) keep up a little wood smoke in the room; (7) give a 

 few scanty meals of light leaf; and (8) diminish the temperature a 

 little. 



CALCINO, OR MUSCARDINE. 



This disease, at first, has no visible appearance, but by degrees the 

 vitality of the worm is impaired, and it eats and moves slowly. The 

 body turns rose-colored or red, beginning with the stigmata, and then 

 contracts and loses its elasticity, after which the 

 worm stands still as though paralyzed, and finaly 

 dies 20 to 30 hours from the appearance of the 

 first symptoms. After death the body dries up 

 and is covered with a white efflorescence, causing 

 it to look like a stick of white chalk (fig. 15); 

 hence the name of the disease. 



Calcino is caused by a mold or minute fungus. 

 There are two varieties of this fungus: Botrytis 

 lassiana and B. tenella. They both attack the 

 worm in the same way. The spores of the mold 

 by chance get on the body of the worm when it is 

 in a molting condition, and there take root, pene- (Redrawn from Veraon 

 trating below the skin. The thread-like mycelium 

 ramifies until it fills the entire body. Later some of the branches 

 fructify on the surface, and the fruit bursting envelopes the worm 

 with innumerable spores resembling a white powder. 



Each spore is capable of settling on a molting worm and oi\ in^ it 

 calcino, hence the necessity of taking steps to avoid contagion. Cal- 

 cino is more contagious than other silkworm diseases. Darkness, 

 stagnant air, dirt, warmth, and moisture are the five things that favor 

 mold, and calcino is due to a mold. 



The chief cause oi the disease is neglecting to change the beds and 

 keeping litter in and around the room. When only one or two worms 



