August 10 , 1882 . j JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 128 
they will succeed even yet, though no time is to be lost now, as late 
cuttings sometimes do not root until the following spring. The 
difference between the two modes of cultivating when the plants 
are seen together is surprising. We dibble them into frames, and 
when rooted pot them, and winter them pluDged in cold frames. 
Calceolarias we never insert before November. A layer of decayed 
manure is placed on a hard bottom, 3 inches of soil above that, 
the plants dibbled in, and the sashes kept close until roots are 
formed ; the lights are then kept off in all favourable weather. 
By the beginning of April the rooted plants are transferred to 
their quarters in the garden, and forming good flowering plants 
by the beginning of July or earlier. — A Nor’-Easter. 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM REARING.—13. 
( Continued from page 63.) 
About thirty-five years ago, when a “ Chinese Junk ” that 
had arrived safely in the port of London was for the time an 
object of general interest, the many visitors thereto were solicited 
to buy a variety of Chinese articles, some of which had crossed 
the ocean in the junk, but some in all probability had not. 
Amongst the articles offered there were five hundred glass cases 
of insects (more or less) containing butterflies, beetles, and a few 
insects of other tribes : many of the cases had specimens of the 
lantern fly. Most of the cases had a double layer of insects, but¬ 
terflies or moths forming the lower one. Above these were species, 
beetles, flies, &c., upon tall pins, which were not unfrequently 
barbarously run through the wings of the plumaged insects. A 
large proportion of the cases had as their centre a pair of huge 
moths, concerning which at that time very little 
was known in Britain. Some collectors, indeed, 
regarded these as well worth the 5s. charged then 
for the cases and contents. Since, similar show¬ 
cases of Chinese insects have occasionally arrived 
here, but of late I have not seen any offered for sale, 
unless second-hand. 
The insect in question, now familiar to natural¬ 
ists by the name of Attacus Atlas, belongs to the 
group of moths referred to in our preceding article, 
and we believe it may claim to be the largest 
moth in the world. It has, however, two types or 
races. There is a “giant” race, the females of 
which have wings that expand nearly 11 inches, 
and a smaller race averaging two-thirds the size. 
Each has its locality. The Himalayan Mountains 
have supplied us with examples of the larger form 
of Atlas. The other has been brought from the 
vicinity of Bangalore. Both doubtless occur in 
very varied Asiatic districts, notably in China, be¬ 
sides India, also in the isles of the Archipelago. 
Our figure shows a moderate-sized specimen of the 
smaller race ; scarcely a species belonging to the 
group is so remarkable for the beauty of the singular 
“side windows” within the wings'than is A. Atlas. 
It does not appear that, allied though this species 
is to A.. Cynthia and to A. Mylitta (the Tussur silkworm), the silk 
produced by it has been much utilised in its native countries; but 
at the period of the temporary failure of our old friend B. Mori, 
this insect, amongst others, attracted the notice of those who were 
investigating the silk-yielding caterpillars. Dr. Chavannes, who 
made some suggestions concerning the introduction of new species 
into France, examined cocoons of A. Atlas in 1855, and commended 
the silk as being stronger and thicker even than that of the Mul¬ 
berry worm. He believed that the cocoon wac formed of one 
thread, which could probably be wound off ; but the quantity of 
floss or loose silk is considerable, and this belongs, like A. Cynthia, 
to the class of open cocoons. Hence the moth extricates itself 
without either damaging or wetting the abode of the pupa. 
Experiments in rearing A. Atlas have been made in Britain by 
Mr. Philip H. Gosse, F.R.S., and M. Wailly. The latter gentleman 
has for several years devoted himself to the rearing of a well- 
selected variety of the silkworms new to Britain. The results of 
their experiments, so far as they went, have been published in the 
“ Entomologist,” where also reference has been made to the energy 
and perseverance previously shown by M. Braine of Arras in 
France. He hatched out his first brood of these silkworms during 
June, 1869, feeding them successfully upon the common Barberry 
exposed to the sunshine in the open air. Cocoons of A. Atlas 
were shown by M. Braine at the Exposition des Insectes of 1872. 
His success in rearing was such as to encourage him to make 
several plantations of Barberries ; but the war of 1870 and other 
circumstances prevented him from prosecuting silk culture in this 
direction, else it is likely the species might have been acclimatised 
in some area of France where its conditions of life would have 
resembled those of its Asiatic home. Lady Gilbert, an Indian 
resident, seems to have been the first naturalist who reared one 
of the caterpillars to maturit}' during the autumn of 1825. 
The egg of A. Atlas is not so large as one might expect. It is 
prettily granulated, and white clouded with purplish-brown. 
When first out of the egg the young silkworm is black and grey, 
having conspicuous tubercles of white. There are five moults, 
A. Atlas having thus one more moult than is general amongst the 
silkworms. At each while in captivity they devour the whole or 
the greater part of the cast-off skin. After the second moult the 
silkworm, until full-grown, is clothed with a farina or dust, which 
may be blown off the skin. Having passed the last moult the 
silkworm appears of a delicate pea-green, almost white in some 
examples, the tubercles bluish, here and there tipped with blue- 
black. In spinning the cocoon one of these silkworms 6eeks for 
several leaves which can be drawn together so as to form a con¬ 
venient hollow. The cocoon is usually secured to a footstalk by a 
cord of silk. In length it varies from 2 to 3 inches ; the colour of 
the silk is some shade of brown. 
Besides the Barberry, the silkworms of this species have been 
fed upon Apple, Plum, and Peach by several observers, and by 
Mr. Gosse upon Sallow or Willow. He arranged for his newly 
hatched worms a saucer with the leaves of nine different plants 
stuck into damp sand, and found that although they nibbled 
several species they gave Sallow the preference. Their tardy 
growth proved a hindrance to success, and nearly all the brood 
died ; the survivors reached their full size after a life of nearly 
eleven weeks. On the other hand, a person who placed some of 
the Atlas worms in a plant stove reared about half his batch 
within five weeks. M. Wailly found the period of his worms came 
between these two, but he also lost a part, and this does not seem 
to be a species easy to rear with us. Sprinkling their food with 
fine drops of water has been proposed as likely to be beneficial, 
and also forcing the pupae slightly, so as to get eggs rather early 
in the summer, for the winter is passed by the species in the pupal 
state. Another noteworthy fact is that while young these silk¬ 
worms are apt to turn cannibals when near each other. On the 
whole it may be concluded that in Britain this handsome moth 
and its silkworm are rather to be esteemed as a curiosity than of 
practical value, but it might be turned to better account in China 
and India. 
Bombyx or Attacus Cecropia is a large species allied to A. Atlas, 
and one which has this fact in its favour, that the worms feed 
upon a variety ef plants readily. It is a native of North America, 
bearing some resemblance to the insect just described, but it is of 
smaller dimensions. We cannot bestow upon it a high place upon 
the list of American silkworms. The silk is apparently only to be 
had by carding, and the cocoon belongs to the group of the open- 
constructed, a good deal of floss outside, and within layers of strut 
silk. The moths come forth in June or July, the worms hatch in 
a few weeks after, and spin up during the autumn. From black 
at infancy they pass to orange, then to blue, being at length blue 
and greenish yellow, with an array of tubercles or spines yellowish 
on the back and white on the sides of the body. Specimens of 
the cocoon of A. Cecropia have been exhibited which had been 
obtained in England, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, and 
Fig. 22.—Noth of Attacus Atlas. 
