116 



fenestris ad basin rectis, squamulis ochraceis circumdatis, sepi- 

 mentis albis alarum latioribus : alis externe lineis duabus, rivu- 

 losis seu undatis, ochreis et nigro-fuscis. 

 Hab. In Indise mont. (Dhargeeling). 



Bombyx hsec distinctissima, Professori Milne-Edwards clarissimo, 

 a descriptore dedicatur, "in memoriam." 



This fine insect comes next to the well-known Attacus atlas, but 

 may at once be distinguished from it by its intensely dark colour, 

 especially on that band, bounded by angled and curved, white, defined 

 lines, in which the fenestrse occur. This band is of a dark blackish- 

 brown, passing into a rich chestnut -brown above the fenestra? of the 

 upper wings and on their posterior margin ; the inner margin of the 

 lower wings is of this red-brown also ; the fenestrse are not bounded 

 by a margin of black scales as in Attacus atlas, but by ochreous 

 yellow squamulation ; the part of the fenestra towards the base of 

 the wings, which in Attacus atlas is curved convexly, is in Attacus 

 edwardsii straight ; the fenestra is longer, the white lines on the 

 wings, breaking up the brown so beautifully, are wider, and that 

 on the lower wing is less scolloped than in Attacus atlas ; the mar- 

 gin of the lower wing on the outside has two much-waved lines, the 

 inner is yellow, with thirteen or fourteen undulations, continued on 

 the upper wing till it leaves oif where the wing is dilated into the 

 lobe, which gives the wing its hooked-like character ; the lower line 

 is brownish-black, and is straight, except in six places, where the 

 black runs up the nerves triangularly to a point, and meets two of 

 the yellow lobes, which are conjugate. The figure will show this 

 and the other markings better than any description. 



This insect belongs to that largest group of Bombycidce, the co- 

 coons of some of the species of which have been long used in India 

 for the production of coarseish kinds of silk. One of these has been 

 introduced into Algeria, Spain, Italy, and France, where the Ricinus 

 communis, its food-plant, grows readily. The numerous valuable 

 papers of M. Guerin-Meneville must be consulted, to show with what 

 success the experiments have been made. It is not from want of 

 energy, ability, and desire on the part of those who have tried to 

 introduce it, that their endeavours have not been more successful. No 

 silk is likely to supersede that of the old Bombyx rnori, even al- 

 though Bombyx huttoni and Bombyx horsfieldii be congeneric. The 

 Silkworm seems, like the sheep, cow, and horse, to have been made 

 for man. All our attempts are, or seem to be, in the main, unsuc- 

 cessful to introduce new silk-producers — new domestic animals. They 

 were created domesticated. 



