136 
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILK- 
WORMS. 
Havine given an account of the East Indian 
silkworms, we again revert to the more interesting 
- and valuable species, the Common Silkworm, or 
Phalena Mori, described in our second volume. 
In the districts of the Chinese empire most con- 
genial to the habits of silkworms, they remain 
quite free, feeding at will upon the leaves of the 
mulberry-trees, and undergoing their various meta- 
morphoses without the aid of man. They are left 
quite unmolested until the cocoons are formed, 
when they are immediately appropriated by man, 
most of the Awrelia within them are destroyed, 
and the silk wound off them. 
It has, however, been found, that silk made in 
this natural condition is not equal in quality and 
fineness to that produced by the worms which 
are sheltered and protected by the fostering hand 
of man. The Chinese have reached high perfec- 
tion in the rearing and tendence of silkworms. 
One of the greatest difficulties with which they 
have to contend, is preventing the premature exclu- 
sion of the caterpillar from the eggs, to which they 
