certain si Ik -producing worms, as they are termed, found near 
Graham’s Town by M». HWier, feeding on the leaves of the 
mimosa thorn or a* ac’a. 
The result of the correspondence was, that some of the 
coooods were presented to the Chamber here to liave them 
reported on and their true value ascertained. 
They came into my hands, and the following remarks on 
them may be interesting to the Society : — 
From one of the cocoons the moth now exhibited emerged 
shortly after its arrival in England, and though much crip- 
pled, I have, through the kindness of Mr. Jansen, had it 
clearly identified with the insect “Pachypasa effusa,” of 
which there are several specimens in the British Museum 
collection from Natal. 
The moth laid about 50 eggs, of which I have mounted 
two or three and they are here for examination. 
The eggs under the microscope exactly resemble in 
Texture those of the ostrich, but each has a small black 
point, probably of a softer substance than the rest of the 
egg, and through which the caterpillar may emerge. 
From one of the cocoons I extracted the chrysalis also 
exhibited, and further the cast skin of the caterpillar rolled 
into a small ball as usual ; by boiling this for some time in 
caustic potass, it became, so softened that it was possible to 
:get it to its original size, and to show its original form. You 
have it before you dried, and the series is therefore complete, 
egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, moth, and cocoon. 
The original cocoon is, you will notice, a hard woody-like 
substance, but by certain processes, Mr. Hillier states soaking 
in a solution of soda, the cement agglutinating the silk is 
dissolved and a soft silky-looking bag remains. 
This consists of a thick outer covering, a loose middle 
lining, and a thinner internal lining, all of silk, which 1 
hardly think could be wound but might possibly be carded. 
