158 THE EARLY HISTORY OF SILK. 



of tlie animal. On their return, they did not com- 

 municate their information to their own country- 

 men, but bent their way to Constantinople, where 

 they made known to the Emperor Justinian the 

 habits and economy of this curious insect, and de- 

 veloped the Chinese system of making the various 

 fabrics. 



At that period they were in entire ignorance from 

 what it was produced ; some, however, supposed it 

 was the intestines of a spider-like insect, furnished 

 with eight legs, which was for foui' years fed upon a 

 paste, and afterwards on the leaves of a kind of 

 gi-een willow, till it burst from over feeding.* Pliny 

 says, silk was the produce of a worm which formed 

 nests of clay, and collected wax.t And Aristotle, 

 approaching nearer the truth, says it is unwound 

 from the pupa of a caterpillar with homs. Although 

 he does not expressly say the pupa, yet it may be 

 inferred; but it could not be the common Silk- 

 worm, {Plialwna mori,) which he meant, as he 

 mentions two characters in-econcilable with it, name- 

 ly, that of having horns, and being of a large size. 



Stimulated byoffersof a great reward, these monks 

 retraced their steps to China, where they contrived 

 to possess themselves of a quantity of the eggs of 

 the Silkworm Moth, which they concealed in a 

 hollow cane, and brought safely to Constantinople, 



• Pausanias, vi. 80. t ^^''^'- ^^"'- '• !'• '-T- 2^* 



