Indian Museum Notes. [ Vol. IL 



to the species Attacus cynthia, and even these do not appear in sufficient 

 numbers to be of any importance. Of the remaining wild species, the 

 most promising seem to be; (1) Cricula trifenestrata, whose golden 

 colored cocoons are often to be found in large masses upon mango and 

 other trees in many parts of India, and have been favorably reported 

 upon by some experts, though the silk is said to irritate the skin of 

 the wearer, owing to urticating properties of the caterpillars' hairs which 

 are liable to get spun up with it; (2) Anthercea roylei, which lives upon 

 hill oaks in the Himalayas and is closely allied to the oak feeding species 

 Anther 'cea per nyi and Anther aa yamamai which produce most of what is 

 known as the Tussore silks of China and Japan ; (3) Theophila huttoni, 

 whose cocoons are sometimes to be found in considerable number upon 

 wild mulberry trees in the North-West Himalayas, and might occa- 

 sionally be worth collecting, though, according to Captain Hutton, the 

 crop is too precarious to have much value. 



In drawing up this account constant reference has been made to the 

 collections of the Indian Museum, which now contain representatives of 

 all the commoner forms of Indian Saturniidse and Bombycidse. The 

 literature of the subject has also been carefully consulted and an attempt 

 has been made to introduce some order into it, by indicating the affinities 

 of a number of so-called species, which have in many cases been founded 

 solely upon trifling peculiarities detected in dried specimens, though 

 these peculiarities are often so slight that the insects are practically 

 indistinguishable. Where, therefore, there is no known difference in 

 structure or life history to justify the separation of what are evidently 

 very closely allied forms, it has been thought best to deal with them 

 under the headings of the ones earliest described, the existence, however, 

 of the allied forms being in each case indicated, so as to prevent the 

 possibility of confusion arising, in the event of fundamental differences 

 being in any cases hereafter brought to light. Figures of all the well 

 marked forms have been appended, where possible, with illustrations of 

 tha caterpillars and cocoons ; and in all eases where there is any possibility 

 of doubt about the identity of a species which has been figured, the 

 authority adopted for its identification has been quoted. The most re- 

 liable specimens in the Museum collection of Saturniidse and Bombycidse 

 are probably those collected by the late Mr. Otto Moller in Sikkim 

 and determined by Mr. H. J. Elwes, but the Museum also possesses 

 several of the late Captain Hutton's types, as well as numerous insects 

 determined by Mr. F. Moore, and the whole of these specimens have in 

 each case been carefully examined, reference being also made to a con- 

 siderable collection of Indian moths belonging to Colonel A. M. Lang 

 and determined by Mr. F. Moore. 



With regard to the plates with which this report is illustrated, the 

 figures of the larva? of Theophila affinis, Th. huttoni, and Th. bengalensis } 



