THE SILKWORM. 
313 
taken up by the business in which it was employed, walked 
along the caterpillar’s body, now and then remaining fixed 
to a particular spot. Upon this occasion, I perceived it 
every now and then dart a sting, which it carried at the end 
of its tail, into the caterpillar’s body, and then drew it out 
again, to repeat the same operation in another place. It 
was not difficult for me to conjecture the business which 
engaged this animal so earnestly ; its whole aim was to de- 
posit its eggs in the caterpillar’s body ; which was to serve 
as a proper retreat for bringing them to perfection. The 
reptile thus rudely treated, seemed to bear all very patiently, 
only moving a little when stung too deeply; which, how- 
ever, the fly seemed entirely to disregard. I took particular 
care to feed this caterpillar : which seemed to me to con- 
tinue as voracious and vigorous as any of the rest of its 
kind. In about ten or twelve days, it changed into an 
aurelia, which seemed gradually to decline, and died : upon 
examining its internal parts, the animal was entirely devour- 
ed by worms; which, however, did not come to perfection, 
as it is probable they had not enough to sustain them within.” 
The Silkworm. Though silk was anciently brought in 
small quantities to Home, yet it was so scarce as to be 
sold for its weight in gold ; and was considered such a 
luxurious refinement in dress, that it was infamous for a 
man to appear in habits of which silk formed but half the 
composition. It was most probably brought among them 
from the remotest parts of the East ; since it was, at the 
time of which we are speaking, scarcely known even in Persia. 
The silkworm is a large caterpillar, of a whitish colour, 
with twelve feet, and producing a butterfly of the moth kind. 
1 here are two methods of breeding silkworms ; for they 
may be left to grow, and remain at liberty upon the trees 
where they are hatched ; or they may be kept in a place 
built for that purpose, fed every day with fresh leaves. The 
first method is used in China, Tonquin, and other hot coun- 
tries ; but to breed them in Europe, they must be sheltered 
and protected from every external injury. For this purpose, 
a room is chosen, with a south aspect ; and the windows 
are so well glazed, as not to admit the least air ; the walls 
are well built, and the planks of the floor exceeding close, 
so as to admit neither birds nor mice, nor even so much as 
an insect. In the middle there should be four pillars erected, 
° r four wooden posts, so placed as to form a pretty large 
square. Between these are different stories made with osier 
hurdles ; and under each hurdle there should be a floor, with 
Vol. II. 2 R 
