246 Newchwang Mountain Silk. 
which the silk thread matter is drawn. The work of 
further self-inclosure the animal does with its head and the 
foremost five joints of the body. It first quite surrounds 
itself with the loose flossy-like silk which forms the outer 
portion of the cocoons as they come to market, and through 
_ which its green body remains fora time visible. It then — 
gradually forms the dense, hardish, skin-like substance, 
which constitutes the inner portion of the cocoon. On 
opening acocoon which had been receutly formed, and was 
to outward appearance quite finished, I found inside a 
complete green worm curled up in the way I have de- 
scribed as to its hind part, and with the fore part in the 
condition in which it is when the animal is in one of its 
sleeps on the bush. After a while the fore part began to 
move, and the animal to spin silk, which it attached at 
each turn of its head to the surface of a table on which I 
had placed it. It seemed to be labouring to increase the 
thickness of its cocoon, being doubtless roused to the 
necessity of so doing by the feel of the open air to which 
it was again exposed. I judged that if the cocoon had not 
‘been opened, the animal would, after a sleep in it, have 
proceeded to thicken the inner surface by further thread 
spinning, and have gone on so doing till its bulk was 
sufficiently decreased for its turning into the chrysalis 
shape. 
The worm is fed on three kinds of oak bushes, called 
small “tsing-kang-lew,” large “ tsing-kang-lew,” and “hoo- 
po-lo.” The only difference between the small and the 
large tsing-kang-lew seemed to me to lie in the acorn cup, 
that of the former being smaller and also smoother outside 
than that of the latter. As forthe hoo-po-lo oak, its leaves 
are much larger and darker than those of the large and 
small tsing-kang-lew. Its acorns are also much larger, 
and, what at once marks the difference, the cup, instead of 
a hard exterior rendered more or less rough by small, hard 
protuberances, is covered with longish feathery filaments, 
which give the cup the appearance of a small fur cap. 
Another bush, on the leaves of which the worm is fed, 
is called “tseen-tso-tsze.” It is not an oak; its leaves 
have, when newly plucked, a faint but distinct and agreeable 
perfume. They are long and narrow, blunt-oval shaped at 
the stem, and tapering to a point at the outer end. 
_ The best silk is produced by using the leaves of the tseen- 
tso-tsze, which exists, however, only in small quantities; 
the next quality is produced by using the leaves of the 
