1:24 
THE ART OF REARING 
Since the preceding day, the silk-worms begin 
to decrease in size, as they have cleansed and 
cleared themselves of all nutritive substances, 
before they sink into their torpor. 
The greenish colour of the rings of their body 
lias disappeared, and their skin is quite wrinkled. 
Seventh Day of the Fourth Age. 
(Twenty-second of the Rearing of the Silk-\rorin.) 
The silk-worms rouse in this day, and accom- 
plish their fourth age. 
In generalizing this paragraph, let us suggest 
the following observations. 
In about seven days, the worms have accom- 
plished their fourth moulting, and cast their 
skins. 
They have consumed in that period, 900 pounds 
of sorted leaves, adding to which, the picking and 
refuse of the leaves of about 135 pounds, we shall 
have an aggregate weight of 1035 pounds of 
leaves drawn from the tree, dividing which into 
five parts, will allow 207 pounds of leaves for 
each ounce of eggs. 
It is not here that I shall state the diminu- 
tion of weight sustained by the leaves, by evapo- 
ration of moisture, from the moment they are 
culled, until they are weighed, and put upon the 
wicker hurdles. We shall speak of it further on. 
(Chap. XIV.) 
