( ‘0J7 ) 
mtght be feen through as you may an Egg, being of the fame 
Colour andConfiftence ('fill’d with the matter th^at makes the 
Silk) This is a certain Sign that they will begin to Spin in- 
24 Hours or lefs. They then forfake their Food ('being very 
Voracious beforej and hunt about for a convenient Place to 
fix their firft Hold-fafts, for fupporting the Balls or Cones 
that they arc to make, which they do in a molt wonderful 
Mathematical Manner, with a Mixture of a Gummy Sub- 
llance that tyes all together^ and vs^hen the loofe furzy Sub- 
ftance is taken off, and forae of the Silk is wound olF, the 
remainder is fo Smooth and Compadt, (hining like 
that they are made ufe of for Artificial Flowers,and efteemed 
the bed of any thing yet known for that purpofe, for which 
(only) they are generally kept in Boarding Schools. I weighed 
many hundreds ofthefe Silk-Balls or Cones, which I found 
to weigh from 5 j to 40 Grains, with their Aurelias or Chryfa- 
Us within them. 
June 27. They begun to Spin, having been Hatcht 7 
Weeks and ; Days^ and in 4 or 5 Days finifhed their labo- 
rious and curious Work : but their Balls were not fit to be 
removed until 8 or 10 Days. 
July 7. Monf. Lacbivre began to wind off their Silk- Balls 
with a Machine that made great difpatch, winding much 
fine Silk in a Day: I found that an Ounce of Silk-Balls 
would make about a Dram of fine Silk ; but to be more cer- 
tain, I weighed out to the Winder 12 Pounds of Silk Balls 
at 4 times, and told the Balls ii^ every 3 Pound as follow- 
etb, 'viz,. 
The firft 5 Pound contained 8j2 Balls 
The fecond 5 Pound contained 842 
The third 3 Pound contained 797 
The fourth ■; Pound contained 868 
So that the whole 12 Weight contained 3319 Balls. 
Which when wound off, was found to yield and make one 
Pound and one Ounce, or 17 Ounces of fine Silk, and about 
7 Ounces of coarfe Refufe unwound, in all a Pound and 
hdXi oi Averdupois Weight, or 2 Pounds Trc/ ; which is as 
great or greater making or yielding as in any part of the 
World, and the Silk as fine, f (hewed it to a noted Silk Bro- 
ker, who faid it was Italian Silk, (not knowing it was made 
in England) and worth about 30 Shilling} per Pound, .if I had; 
never (o many Bales of it, &c. 
Now; 
