THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 1,95 



but in vain, for they shrunk into the chrysalis state 

 without being able to fonn even the web which en- 

 closes the cone. " This," says Miss Rhodes, " was 

 equally new and alarming to me, and 1 watched 

 them with the most anxious attention. The prin- 

 ciple of life was as visible in them as in the chrysa- 

 lises which they liad spun. That this change was 

 the effect of cold, I had no doubt ; but I wished to 

 discover how that effect was produced, and this I 

 could only do by opening some of them. On exa- 

 mination, I found that the glutinous matter which 

 forms the silk was become so highly congealed by 

 the cold, that it resembled a strong tendon, both in 

 appearance and tenacity ; whereas I had ever found 

 it to be perfectly fluid in those woims which were 

 employed in spinning. 



" My distress increased hourly, for thousands 

 went off thus every day. It was sufficiently obvious 

 that the making of fires would remedy the evil ; 

 but they were unfortunately situated over a range 

 of wai'ehouses, which rendered that not only dan- 

 gerous, but impossible. To remove such numbers 

 into the house was equally impracticable ; but, alas ! 

 they were soon sufficiently reduced for me to adopt 

 that plan ; and, in one of the coldest days I almost 

 ever felt, with the assistance of several of my friends, 

 I removed them to their former apartment. There 

 I kept large and constant fires ; and the worms, as 



