SILKWORM GRAIN. 
345 
is to be hung on a peg, receiving the air on all sides, 
the males on one side the females on the other, a 
sufficient space being left between the chaplets to pre- 
vent them from touching each other. In describing 
the mode of education on the tree, I spoke of the 
cloths to be used for the laying eggs (ponte) ; similar 
ones are to be used in the magnanerie ; but to avoid 
any loss of grain, for some always falls off at the time 
of laying, the bottoms of the cloths must rest in 
wooden boxes. A space of 30 centimetres (one foot 
square) of cloth, is sufficient for placing 25 couples of 
moths. Having already spoken of the coupling and 
deposit of grain, I shall not return to the subject. 
The same process exactly must be followed for moths 
reared in the magnanerie, as for> those which are 
produced on the tree. The couples must be watched, 
and the refractory males brought back to the females. 
The shed which I use for the incubation of 
chrysalides and the laying of the grain is large and 
well aired ; openings pierced in the top and bottom 
of the walls allow a constant circulation of the air, 
&nd a suitable degree of light, for too strong a 
light disturbs the couples. 
From the mounting to the issue of the moths from 
the chrysalides there are, on an average, 20 days, but 
much also depends on the state of the weather. The 
entire ponte is accomplished in about ten days. 
When the grain is laid, the cloths are immediately 
transferred to the magnanerie, previously cleansed 
thoroughly. They remain there, freely exposed to the 
air, until the time when the grain is to be taken off. 
The frames on which the grain has been laid must be 
put in a sloping position towards the dales. 
