never break off* themfelves. This, he affirms, they put out with 
fo much quicknefs, and draw it fo fiibtlc and fa long, that, 
without an Hyperbole ,the end or thread of every Cafe may have 
two Leagues in length. He advertifeth, that they muff be 
by no means interrupted in their work, to the end, that ail the 
Silk, they have in their bellyes, may come out. 
Some eight dayes after they have finifhed their Work, as 
many of the beft Cafes, as are to ferve for feed , ui^.the firft done, 
the hardeft,;he reddeft and beft coloured, muft be chofen,and 
put a-part ; and all diligence is to be ufed to winde off the Elk 
with as muchfpeed, as may be, efpeeially if the Worms have 
nimbly difpatched their work. 
Here he {pends a good part, of his Book, in giving very parti- 
cular Inftruifcions, concerning the way of winding off the filk, 
fetting alfo down the form of the Oven and Inftruments ne- 
ceffary for that work, which is the painfulleft and niceft of all 
the reft. 
Touching their Generation , he prefcribeth that there be cho- 
fen as many male as female- Cafes ( which are difccrned by this, 
that the males are more pointed at both ends of the Cafes, and 
the females more obtufe on the ends, and bigger- belly ed ) and 
that care be had 5 that no Cafesht taken, but fuch wherein the 
Worms are heard rolling ; which done, and they being come 
forth in the form of Butterflyes , having four wings, Ex feet, two 
horns, and two very black eyes, and put in a convenient place, 
the males fluttering with their wings, willjoyn and couple with 
the. females, after that the fe have firft purged themfelves of a 
kind of reddifh humour by the fundament : in which pofture 
they are to be left from Morning ( which is the ordinary time 
of their coming forth) till evening, and then the females are to 
be gently pulled away, whereupon they will lay their eggs, has 
ving firft let fall by the Fundament another humour, efteemed 
to proceed from the feed of the males ; but the males are then 
thrown away as ufelefs.He advertifeth, that if they be coupled 
longer then 9,. or iq hours, (which they will be, and that fome- 
times for 14. hours together, if they be let alone) either the fe- 
male will receive very great hurt by it r or much feed will re- 
main in her belly. 
The 
