Feb. 2, 1903.] Supplement to the ■" Tropical Agriculturist" 
583 
pheue 1'30 may be used. Internally, mineral 
tonics, iron or copper, for preference with quinine, 
with generous laxative nutritious diet, will 
generally result in a cure. 
( To be Concluded.) 
HANDBOOK ON SERICULTURE. 
Through the courtesy of the Under-Secretary 
to the Government of Bengal, we have been 
favoured with a copy of a valuable little work 
entitled, "Handbook of Sericulture^" by N. G. 
Mukeriji, m.a., m.r.a.c, f.h.a.s. of the Bengal 
Civil Service, and our contemporary at Cirencester 
Agricultural College. 
In his preface the author expresses the hope 
that the work will supply the want of a reliable 
book on Sericulture, and give an impetus to the 
silk industry in India and the British Colonies. 
He remarks that the principal drawback to 
Sericultural enterprise everj'where has been, of 
late years, the wholesale death of silk worms from 
certain diseases when they are reared on a con- 
siderable scale. The author has been employed 
by the Government of Bengal for nearly ten 
years in the investigation of silk-worm epidem- 
ics, and embodies in his work the information 
he has derived from actual experiments, coii- 
firmed by actual trials conducted successfully 
and with pecuniary profit by intelligent cocoon- 
rearers in most of the silk districts of Bengal. 
We learn that a Sericultural School has been 
established in the Presidency with the object of 
teaching cocoon-rearers how to avoid silk-worm 
epidemics, and is doing very good work in 
diseminating the knowledge that was derived 
from experiments. 
The book is divided into four parts: (I) 
The mulberry and the mulberry silk-worm. (2) 
Diseases of silk-worms and of the mulberry plant. 
(3) The commercial cocoons. (4) Manufacture 
and commerce. 
The following information referring to the 
various kinds of silk-worms is culled for the 
benefit of our readers : — 
All varieties of silk-worms fall under two 
heads : (I) Those which make reelable cocoons 
and (2), Those which make unreelable cocoons, 
I.e., such cocoons as have to be carded and 
combed like cotton or wool before thread can be 
spun out of them. All varieties of domesti- 
cated mulberry silk-worms and most varieties of 
wild silk-worms that are found on the mulberry 
tree belong to the first of these two classes. 
The domesticated mulberry silk-worms are the 
European (I) Silk-worm or Bomby.v mori, (2) 
The BarapaUi or B. Textor, (3) The Nistari, Mad- 
rasi or Canary silk-worm {B, craesi), {4) The 
Deshi or Chotapalu(Z)'. Fortunatus), (5) Chenapalu 
{B. Sinensis), 
Besides these there is a variety of silk-worm 
called B. arracanensis reared in Burmah, and 
another called Barapet reared in Assam. These 
seem to belong to the i?. Textor variety, and in 
the .Miduapur there is iv variety called Bulu or 
Blue which makes small greenish white Cocoons. 
These and the Chotapat of Assam seem to belong 
to the B. Sinends variety. Among wild mul- 
berry cocoons the Theophilus make good reel- 
able cocoons. The Ocinara, Trilocha, and Ron- 
dotia varieties of wild mulberry silk-worms 
spin very inferior cocoons. 
Other silk-worms besides those that feed on 
the mulberry produce serviceable cocoons. Of 
these reelable are (1) Bombyx lasiocampaolus, (2) 
Antheroea Jaraamai, (3) A. Pernyi, (4) A. Assama 
or Muga, (5) A. Roylli, (6) A. Mylilta or Tusser 
proper. All these cocoons may be classed the 
generic name of Tusser. Other reelable cocoons 
have also been discovered, but they are so 
rarely found that it is impossible an industry. 
Cocoons that cannot be reeled are mostly 
useless. Of this class the Eadi or Eri are the 
best, Attacus Atlas cocoons also fall under 
this group, and they also are spun by castor- 
leaf-eatiug silk-worms. The Atlas cocoons 
contain oralmost ten times as much silk as the 
mulberry or Eri cocoons, but the silk is not 
so soft as the latter. Ataous Ricini and its 
wild form A. Cynthia are other unreelable 
cocoons. The Cricula variety of silk-worms 
produces a cocoon that is made into thread by 
certain races in Chota Nagpur. There are 
hundreds of other varieties of inferior silk-worms 
of which the produce is not used or is even 
likely to be used. In France a variety of 
spiders spins cocoons in pear trees, and the silk 
from these is woven. 
Of all the varieties mentioned above the 
European mulberry cocoons are the best. 
A few years ago a good deal was heard 
about Lasiocampa Otus found in Dalmatia, but 
the cocoons have not been found to be a 
superior commercial article. 
English cocoons were nearly all originally 
derived from Chim. At present the best cocoons 
are found in Italy and B ranee. 
The Paipitsau cocoon, the best of the Chinese, 
is the origin of the white Shanghai of Italy 
which is recognised as the best of all cocoons. 
In Prance a class of cocoons called moricauds 
(negroes) is spun by a hardy black worm. 
There are numerous other superior French and 
Italian cocoons. At Smyrna a Mr. Grifllths has 
by scientific selection established a superior class 
spun by very hardy black and zebra caterpillars. 
We must here conclude our notice of this 
very useful work, the test of which is illustrated 
by pictures and diagrams, and take the opportu- 
nity of thanking the author for the valuable 
information ho has placed at our disposal. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
The earth-nut or pea-nut {Arachis hypoyma) has 
come to be considered one of the best foods for 
poultry, whether laying hens or growing chickens, 
excelling maize, wheat or oats. Unlike the first 
two it does not over-fatten, and keeps the birds 
in good health. They are thrown wich tops and 
all, and keeps beus bu^y all day, 
