legs are called " holders," and exist only in the cater- 
pillar, being used in climbing. 
On each side of every ring of the body may be 
observed a small hole, surrounded by a black ring : 
these are the spiracles or breathing holes, the or- 
gans of respiration in insects. 
The silk is produced from two reservoirs ex- 
tending the whole length of the body and uniting 
in the spinneret at the mouth. When about to spin* 
these reservoirs become very much enlarged, The 
silk exists in the body of the worm as a yellow gum. 
If it be taken from a cocoon and examined under a 
microscope, it will be found to be composed of two 
fibres, being derived alike from the two reservoirs. 
These fibres are made to cohere by a gummy sub- 
stance secreted by a number of glands situated on 
each side of the body near the mouth. 
The silkworm has fourteen eyes, seven on each 
side of the head, near the mouth,which has a vertical 
instead of a horizontal opening. The worm, after 
having wrapped itself up in the cocoon, is called 
a. pupa, or "chrysalis"; and on emerging from the 
cocoon, it is called an imago. 
The silk is wound from the cocoon by a pro- 
cess called reeling. It is then sent to the throwster, 
who unites several threads of reeled silk and twists 
them ; afterward to the dyer, when it is ready for 
weaving. 
