210 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



frequent in that district ; but hard sliowers washed 

 down many of the large and heavy womis. Other 

 dangers also threatened the destruction of these little 

 colonies — dangers which increased with their growth, 

 and will remain as obstacles to the culture of the 

 silk in the open air, even though the difficulties of 

 the climate should be overcome. Birds, particularly 

 span'ows and starlings, killed a great number ; and 

 others, as they approached the period of spinning, 

 fell from the trees, and were crushed. It is only at 

 Oppova, Starcsova, and Panscova, that a few actually 

 spun. At Oppova thirty-one came to perfection, and 

 fifteen male and sixteen female moths ate through 

 their cones ; six only of the fonner and three of the 

 latter had strength enough to come forth, and then 

 laid eggs upon their cocoons, which in time produced 

 other Silkworms, which died. At Starcsova, one 

 cocoon only was found. The worms at Panscova, 

 which were placed upon tlie trees by the wayside 

 and in the plantations, suffered the same fate as the 

 rest. The birds destroyed the greater part ; others 

 were washed away by the rain ; the rest, for most 

 part, when they had undergone their second change 

 of skin, fell to the gi'ound by their own weight, where 

 they were crushed, or lay quite unable to assist them- 

 selves. On the thick espaliers in the plantation, they 

 were, in every respect, the most secure, as they were 

 less exposed to the wind and birds. The fall from 

 the lower leaves was less dangerous, and recovery 



