Nature and Art, August 1, 18GG.] 
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM OF INDIA. 
85 
A large tract of waste land near the Exhibition 
building has been taken as an Agricultural annexe, 
and a very considerable portion of this will be de- 
voted to the contributions from Great Britain. In 
fact, the programme of the Exhibition with respect 
to this class is so vast that it will be difficult to 
meet the flood of demands made to the various 
commissions. 
Amongst the curiosities spoken of is a specimen 
at once of topography and typography to be sent 
from New York ; namely, a plan of that city, 
25 feet long by 8 broad, in which not ouly every 
street and alley, but also every house, will be dis- 
tinctly indicated. 
That portion of the programme which relates to 
the illustration of the dramatic, musical, and other 
elegant ax-ts, and to the amxisemeixt of the visitors 
to the Exhibition, seems likely to be carried out as 
intended. Engagements have been entered into 
between the Imperial Commission and tlxi-ee operatic 
and theatrical managers for the construction of an 
international theatre in the Exhibition pare. The 
direction of the concerts to be given in this theatre 
is to be in the hands of M. Carvalho, the director 
of the Thedt.re Lyrique, and husband of the charming 
cantatrice. A dozen other different means of amuse- 
ment are talked of, but we are not aware that any 
of them have yet advanced out of the condition of 
schemes and proposals. 
One of the l’ecent additions to the programme 
is the foi’mation of a special committee for the 
admission of pleasixre-boats and yachts, for the ac- 
commodation of which a piece of ground, close to 
the Exhibition, and with a frontage towards the 
river, has been devoted. Series of fetes and regattas 
will be arranged by the committee, to which the 
vessels and boats of all nations will be admitted. 
Yachting and boating, like racing, and, in a less 
degree, cricketing, are becoming acclimatized in 
France. Twenty years ago no sxxcli thing was 
known, except at certain ports, where probably the 
English were chief promoters; and now we ai'e 
told, on the authoi’ity of the Minister of Marine, 
that there existed in France, in November, 18G5, 
nearly five thousand pleasure-boats and yachts of 
all dimensions, giving amusement or occupation to 
nearly six thousand amateurs and l’egular sailors. 
The question of medals and other prizes, and the 
many considerations which attach to their influence, 
and the modes of their distribution, is still a vexed 
one ; and eveiy great Exhibition as yet has had 
a distinct plan of its own. The Imperial Com- 
mission has just issued the regulations which have 
been adopted on that head. The sum to be devoted 
to the pui’pose is 800,000 francs, or ,£32,000. The 
jury is to consist of six hundred members of all 
nations. With some exceptions — as for instance, 
the classes of driving-machinery, food, animals, 
horticultural products, and the tools and products 
of hand labour, which can only be judged of after 
longer experience and trials — the decisions are to 
be made by the xxiiddle of May, and announced on 
the 1st Jidy, 1867, when the distribution will take 
place in the old Exhibition building in the Champs 
Elysees. The plans for this public cei’emony have 
already been sketched out, and considerable im- 
portance will be given to the crowning of the 
laureates of industry and the arts. 
In the fine art gi’oxxp, the rewards are to be 
17 grand pi'izes of 2,000 francs each, 32 first prizes 
of 800 francs, 44 second prizes of 500 francs, and 
46 third prizes of 400 francs each. In the indus- 
trial and agricultural groups, the prizes ai'e as 
follows: — 100 gold medals, of the value of 1,000 
francs each; 1,000 silver and 3,000 bronze medals; 
and 5,000 honourable mentions. All the medals are 
to be of the same form. 
A new class of rewards is added to the above. 
One grand prize of 100,000 francs, and ten other 
prizes — amounting in the whole to the same sum, 
divided according to the decisions of the jui'y — are 
to be awarded to any persons, establishments, or 
places, that have, by special organization or in- 
stitutions, developed good harmony amongst those 
engaged in industrial pursuits, and thereby ensured 
to the work-people material, moral, and intellectual 
advantages. The grand prize in this class will, of 
course, oxdy be given should any individual or society 
of persons have performed remarkable services iix 
thus conti’ibuting to the welfare of their fellow-men. 
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM OF INDIA 
( Antlierceu Pa/phia). 
By W. B. Lord, Royal Artillery. 
N EVER perhaps has the subject of silk cultiva- 
tion in this and other countries attracted so 
much public attention as it is now doing ; and it 
is to be hoped that the spirited and strenuous 
efforts now being made to acclimatize the Ailanthxxs 
worm ( Bombyx Cynthia), a description of which 
was given in the June number of Nature and 
Art, may be crowned with success. So far we see 
no reasonable grounds for fear as to the ultimate 
result ; and we confideixtly hope, in a short time, 
to see a new element of home industry established, 
by which employment will be afforded to the aged, 
the very young, and the afflicted, of oxxr suburban 
and rural districts. It is oxxr intention to xxote 
carefully, froixx time to tixxxe, the progress made axxd 
x’esxxlts arrived at iix this xxew, bxxt xxxost desirable, 
branch of ixxdustxy. France has, as yet, outstripped 
xxs on the march, and is faix’ly established as a silk- 
prodixcing coxxxxtry. Hithex'to the laboxu’s of the 
mxxlberry worm have fxxrnished the supply to the 
