THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH. 131 
border ; the inner margins are nearly straight and 
entire; both the angles are rounded; inferior, or 
second pair, are nearly of the same colour, with a 
whitish, horseshoe-shaped helt near the centre, 
opening on the inner, or slip edge, and enclosing a 
semilunar spot, like that of the first pair; exterior 
margins entire, convex, with a somewhat waved, 
lighter coloured yellowish border. 
** Mr Atkinson, who furnished me with the most 
interesting parts of the history of Tusseh silkworms, 
has also contributed most of the following remarks 
on this species. 
« They are, like the common silkworm, reared in 
a domestic state, and entirely fed on the leayes of 
the Palma Christi plant. Their cocoons are re- 
markably soft and white, or yellowish ; the fila- 
ment so exceedingly delicate as to render it imprac- 
ticable to wind off the silk : it is therefore spun like 
cotton. The yarn thus manufactured, is wove into 
a coarse kind of white cloth, of a seemingly loose 
texture, but of incredible durability, the life of one 
person being seldom sufficient to wear out a gar- 
ment made of it ; so that the same piece descends 
from mother to daughter. 
«« Since I last wrote to you,’ says Mr Atkinson, 
‘ [have reared two parcels of Palma Christi silk- 
worms, with a view towards winding off the cocoons, 
but all my endeavours to obtain cocoons that would 
reel off were in vain. I even brought a man from 
