36o 
MOTH. 
state. In a letter which Dr. Roxburgh procured 
from a friend relative to these silkworms, is the fol- 
lowing passage : “I have frequently endeavoured 
to detain the males of the jarroo species, and have 
kept them locked up in a box for that purpose ; but 
whether they did not like to make free with their 
female relations, or from what other cause I know 
not, but I could never obtain a breed in the domes- 
tic state, and the efforts of the male to escape were 
wonderful, and always effectual. The accounts given 
by the natives of the distance to which the male 
insects fly are very astonishing. I have put at dif- 
ferent times and occasions, innumerable questions 
to them on this subject, and they assure me that it 
is no uncommon practice amongst them to catch 
some of the male moths, and put a mark on the 
wings previous to letting them fly, the marks of 
different districts being known. I have been told 
that it has been thus ascertained that male moths 
have come from a distance equal to a hundred miles 
and upwards. I of course cannot vouch for the 
truth of this, but have no hesitation in declaring 
that I believe it.” 
It appears that in antient times the culture of silk 
was entirely confined to China, and that the Ro- 
mans were supplied with it from that country, 
through the hands of the Persians, for several cen- 
turies. Robertson informs us that silk was first intro- 
duced into Europe by two Persian monks, who, 
having been employed as missionaries in some of the 
Christian churches which were established (according 
