MOTH. 
351 
so frequently visited, and which would at once 
sweep away and destroy them all. It is necessary 
therefore to bring them up in the house; and the 
manner in which the persons who have the care of 
silkworms proceed for this purpose is thus described. 
A room is chosen in a good air, and where the 
sun has free admission. This apartment must be 
defended from the winds by windows well glazed, 
or frames of strong cloth. In the middle of the 
chamber several ranges of wicker shelves are 
placed one above another about eighteen inches 
apart, and Under every range of shelves there is a 
floor, bordered round with a ledge, which slides into 
a groove, and may be fixed or displaced at pleasure. 
The worms are hatched in boxes where the eggs 
have been previously placed, which are of a straw 
colour, and about the size of a pin’s head. When 
the worms first leave their eggs, it is customary to 
put some leaves of the mulberry-tree over the paper 
of the box where they were hatched ; which is then 
large enough to contain a great number of them, as 
for the first few days they are little black insects 
about the size of a small ant. When they have 
gained a little strength they are distributed upon 
beds of leaves on the wicker shelves in the middle 
of the room, round which there is a free passage for 
the person in attendance. Every morning a fresh 
supply of leaves is lightly scattered over them in an 
uniform manner, at the same time the stale ones 
are removed, and care taken that the insects are not 
carried away with them. Cleanliness is highly ne- 
cessary in rearing these little animals, as nothing 
