JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c September u, 1882 
stances. But could it be reared thus in sufficient numbers to 
afford a supply of silk ? Concerning this we can at present say 
little, but we may hope that A. Yama Mai, amongst the newer 
silkworms that attract notice, will not have its claims overlooked, 
since there are countries where the silkworms have been reared 
in quantities, and what little English silk has been got is of good 
quality. Moreover, in this era of education it ought to be easy 
to ‘'educate ” a silkworm, and so modify its habits. 
Ihe Japanese name of the species has been adopted as its 
specific designation. Until about thirty years ago it was both un¬ 
named and unknown in Europe. Travellers in its native region 
had reported that the Japanese obtained silk from two insects, 
although the silk yielded by A. Yama Mai does not seem to have 
been distinguished from that of B. Mori. Some stated that the 
profits arising from the silkworm which fed upon the Oak were 
all added to the imperial revenue, and others declared that the 
silk, on account of its excellence, was reserved for the Royal Family 
or the Court. At all events this fact was ascertained, that for some 
cause a death penalty was attached to the offence of conveying 
the Yama Mai out of the country. With questionable ingenuity, 
however, a few Japanese traders had obtained what were repre¬ 
sented to foreigners as the eggs of this silkworm, but which were 
really small objects made from wood. At the beginning 0 f the 
year 1SG1, a French fleet being off Japan, the attention of several 
persons was drawn to the beautiful texture of the silk produced 
by A. lama Mai, although the Japanese put forth as 
one objection to the material that it would not take a 
dye, which assertion was afterwards proved contrary to 
fact. I hat year true eggs in small quantity were got 
by the French Consul-General at Japan, and sent to 
Paris. These were taken charge of in the Jardin des 
Plantes, and a part of the batch of eggs hatched dur¬ 
ing March, but died speedily, refusing all the leaves 
that were offered them. Seemingly, the worms had 
been forced out too soon by the temperature at which 
the eggs had been kept. More caterpillars emerged 
early in April. Ihe food plant was still unknown: the 
Oak chanced to be one of the species now offered them, 
and it was found they would not eat its leaves. Out 
of the forty counted only an eighth—that is, five, spun 
very poor cocoons, and no moths emerged. A few eggs 
had, however, been given to an entomologist at Passy, 
and he obtained one caterpillar, which, under his care, 
produced a cccoon, and afterwards a fine moth, which 
was handed to M. Guerin Melville. This enabled him 
to give the species a name ; some acquaintance had 
been made with its habits, but the breed could not be 
continued. 
The prohibition of any export of eggs, and the penalty 
on detection remaining unaltered, put difficulties in the 
way of further experiments ; yet two years later a fresh 
supply was transmitted to Europe by a Dutch gentleman, direc¬ 
tor of the Imperial School of Medicine at Nagasaki. M. Pompe 
van Meedervoort, and a friend of his, tried repeatedly to procure 
e f?S s A. Yama Mai from merchants, naturalists, and silk-growers. 
All ended in disappointment. Then he bethought himself of trying 
to induce a pupil to obtain some, who happened to come from the 
district of Hirgo, where many of the silkworms were reared. The 
youth undertook to collect eggs at the risk of his life, and gave his 
teacher as many as he could get, this second supply thus coming 
by way of Holland to France. Some were kept in Holland ; and 
in that country, as also in France and Germany, there have been 
both successes and failures, open to various explanations. An 
Austrian nobleman, Baron le Bretton, has been remarkably suc¬ 
cessful with the species, rearing many thousands of moths, the 
eggs from which have been much in demand, being more certain 
than those imported from Japan, for it should be mentioned that 
the old restriction has now been taken off. From several dealers 
in foreign insects, Japanese, German, and also English eggs of 
A. Yama Mai may be purchased. In 18G5 the first English speci¬ 
mens were seen, and for some years subsequent to that date" Dr. 
Wallace spared neither time nor expense in his endeavours to 
acclimatise the species. He reared the worms under a variety of 
conditions, and having distributed eggs to many correspondents 
chronicled the results, which he had to own were less satisfac¬ 
tory than he bad hoped. But our friends on the continent tell 
us that we ought to do well with the insect in Britain. 
Reserving further remarks upon its habits, we only add here 
that the moth bears a resemblance to its brethren of the genus 
Attacus. Our illustration (fig, 42) exhibits a rather small specimen. 
Some of them measure 6 inches or more across the wings, the males 
being the larger ; their forewings are more hooked, and the an¬ 
tennae very feathery. The ground colour of the wings is generally 
yellow or orange, in some specimens shading into yellowish 
brown, or occasionally darker than that.—J. R. S. C. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
September 12th. 
Single Dahlias and the collection of Apples and Pears from 
Waltham Cross constituted the chief features of this meeting, but 
other exhibits were not very numerous. The collection of Rose 
blooms contributed by Messrs. W. Paul were, however, especially 
worthy of notice, for rarely are Roses shown so fresh and bright at 
this time of year, particularly after so much rain. 
Fruit Committee.— John Lee, Esq., in the chair. A letter of 
thanks was accorded to Messrs. Lane & Son of Great Berkhampstead 
for a collection of nine varieties of Cobnuts and Filberts, the finest 
being the Close Filbert, Kentish Cob, and Frizzled Filbert. Mr. 
Laxton, Bedford, sent examples of a white selection from Beauty of 
Hebron Potato even and good. He also sent fine samples of Girtford 
Giant Scarlet Runner Beans ; fruits of two fine American Crabs 
named Dartmouth and Whitney, for which a vote of thanks was 
awarded ; and a large fruit of the Red Betigheimer Apple of hand¬ 
some appearance. Mr. C. Ross, Welford Park, Newbury, was awarded 
a vote of thanks for a new green-fleshed Melon named Emerald, of 
very good quality and well netted. Mr. Bonsall, Campsmount, Don¬ 
caster, sent a Melon named Campsmount Hybrid, a red-fleshed variety 
which was too far past its best to enable the Committee to form an 
Fig. 42.—Moth of Attacus Yama Mai. 
opinion respecting its merits. A cultural commendation was awarded - 
to Mr. George, Putney Heath, for fine examples of Beurre d’Amanlis 
Pears and Duke of Albany Apples. A vote of thanks was awarded 
to Messrs. W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, for a collection of 250 
varieties of Apples and Pears, the former being of fair size, but 
most of the Pears were much below the average. 
Floral Committee.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Mr. T. S. 
Ware, Hale Farm, Tottenham, sent a large and beautiful collection of 
single Dahlias, comprising a great number of varieties, mostly of 
great promise. The small deep maroon Zimapani, the deep yellow 
Orangeman, the rich scarlet Fusilier, the maroon and rose-striped 
Pantaloon, Mauve Queen, White Queen, Violet, Yellow Queen, Chris¬ 
tine, White Star, and Beauty of Cambridge were some of the best 
amongst many of great beauty. A collection of summer-flowering 
Chrysanthemums was also sent, the varieties represented including 
Souvenir d’un Ami, white and dwarf ; Curiosity, mauve and neat; 
Andromeda, yellow ; Scarlet Gem, deep red ; and Chromatella, orange! 
Fruits of the peculiar Pteonia decora were also shown, the valves of 
the capsules being strongly recurved, displaying the black seeds on 
the scarlet interior. Sprays of the red-fruited Acttea spicata were 
also shown. Votes of thanks were accorded for both collections. 
Mr. Smythe, Basing Park, Hants, sent blooms of white and red 
Japanese Anemones. Messrs. Rawlings Bros., Romford, exhibited 
several seedling Dahlias, the best of which were Shylock, a bright 
scarlet Show variety ; Sir B. Seymour, deep maroon ; Golden Drop, 
yellow ; President, yellow ; Beauty of the Grove, rosy mauve ; James 
Gilbert, deep scarlet; and John Henshaw, which was certificated. 
Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, sent some fine examples of 
Lilium lancifolium album, monstrosum, snperbissimum, and roseum, 
with Hyacinthus (Galtonia) candicans. The Liliums were very well 
flowered, and the Hyacinthus vigorous. A vote of thanks was ac¬ 
corded to Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, for a large and 
beautiful collection of Pentstemons and single Dahlias, comprising 
some richly coloured varieties ; plants of Begonia diadema, with its 
deeply cut white-spotted leaves ; the rich-coloured Tydsea Robert 
