November 16, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 461 
out of honour or compliment has done some harm to science, at 
least “the line must be drawn somewhere,” as several entomolo¬ 
gists thought when it was proposed to call a new moth 
“ Blanchella,” after a young lady. For who could say that we 
might not have inflicted upon us next a Johannesii or a Billella ? 
In the Universal Exhibition of 1855 the cocoons and silk were 
shown to the public, specimens of this species having been reared 
by M. Jordan at Lyons. 
Figuier highly commends the silk yielded by Attacus Pernyi, 
in which he thinks are united most of the excellent qualities of 
linen and cotton, as well as of silk. The colour is somewhat 
against it, since this is greyish-yellow or light brown, nor does it 
take a dye very readily, in this particular being inferior to the 
silk of A. Yama Mai. Another disadvantage we have had to 
contend with : As yet any attempts at reeling the cocoons have 
proved a failure in Europe, owing to the weakness of the thread 
at the apex. Corded, however, a strong and soft thread is obtained 
readily. The Chinese, it is said, do reel their cocoons ; perhaps 
in its own region the insect forms a cocoon rather different from 
those spun with us. Indeed, the silk of A. Pernyi is an estab¬ 
lished article of commerce in China, recognised at once from its 
colour as the product of the silkworms, wild or tame, that have 
been reared in the mountainous districts. Goods that are manu¬ 
factured from it are called “ pingees," and probably about 
ten thousand bales or more come into the market each year. 
The moth (fig. 76) is a trifle less in size in the average than 
that of A. Yama Mai, of a greyish-brown colour, tinged here 
and there with red, having the four spots or eyes that are usual 
in the group, and antennae very conspicuous in the males. They 
are more active than their partners, the females being disinclined 
to fly, although their wings are the broader of the two, but they 
move from twig to twig when depositing their three hundred or 
four hundred eggs. As the insect passes the winter in the 
chrysalis state, the moths that appear during the warm weather 
of spring lay eggs which hatch in a fortnight or three 
weeks. The little worms begin by being restless, yet 
they show a partiality for each other’s society, liking 
to sip the morning dew, but not such thirsty creatures 
as are the juvenile Yama Mai. After the first cast of 
skin they cease to be gregarious, and their black 
jackets are changed to greenish. 
Each of the four moults alters their appearance; the 
last exhibits them of a yellowish-green, the surface of 
the body dotted over with long spines, which are curi¬ 
ously clubbed at their tips. The head is of a conspi¬ 
cuous brown hue, nearly black in some individuals. 
When they are roaming at liberty, just as they are 
getting large, these silkworms are fond of working their way to 
the tops of Oak twigs from which they have stripped the leaves, 
and resting there to sun themselves they hold out an attractive 
bait to caterpillar-hunting birds. Our observations upon them in 
confinement, made up to the present date, indicate that they 
suffer less from diseases than the Yama Mai silkworms. By 
means of a pedicel or footstalk of silken cord the cocoon (fig. 77) 
is attached to a twig, and swings there securely through the 
winter season. Hence there is not much difficulty in detecting 
these cocoons when the leaves are fallen or diminished in number, 
and the Chinese go out to hunt for them amongst the woods and 
mountains where the species occurs wild, obtaining a good many 
if the season has been favourable and the birds not too destructive. 
As the cocoon is large and spun rather loosely, the chrysalis within 
is apt to shake about and receive injury if it is exposed to the 
chances of a journey, so that purchasers of unopened cocoons may 
have their hopes frustrated should they wish to obtain moths for 
breeding. Eggs, however, may be had from various dealers in 
May or June at about the same price as is charged for those of 
B. cynthia. Moths also sometimes appear during August, the 
species being naturally double-brooded ; but there is difficulty in 
rearing an autumn brood of the worms in this country from the 
eggs deposited then, and it is generally considered advisable to 
check the progress of the summer chrysalids by keeping the 
cocoons cool, so that the moths may come out in the spring of the 
next year. 
Mr. T. T. Meadows, from personal inquiry in North China, was 
able to ascertain that the rearers of A. Pernyi there usually 
obtained two crops of the mountain silk each year. The second 
gathering of cocoons is in September or October, and those to 
be preserved for continuing the brood are kept at a temperature 
rather above that they would be subjected to in the open air, as 
the frosts of their winter are occasionally severe enough 
to kill the chrysalis in exposed places. When the 
females are ready to deposit eggs they are placed upon 
sheets of the native paper spread over tables. It is 
often necessary to force the Oak for the food of the 
young worms, twigs being cut and placed in tubs 
within doors. The newly hatched worms are carefully 
fed with tender leaves until they are about an inch 
long, then they are transferred to suitable bushes in the 
hill slopes, where they seem to thrive better than in spots 
more sheltered. The summer of the region is seldom hot, 
and the few warm days are separated by cool intervals. 
No particular attention is bestowed upon the silkworms, 
only they are moved from bush to bush as they strip 
the leaves. The food is several species of Oak, examples 
of which have been named at Kew. What is called by 
the Chinese tsing-hang-lew is considered to be Quercus 
Mongolica. Their hoo-po-lo is Q. obovata, and a third 
kind named tseen-tse-tszeo is Q. serrata, and this is supposed to 
produce the finest worms. With us the worms give a preference 
to the leaves of the Evergreen Oak, but they feed freely upon 
our common British species of Quercus. Not only are the cater¬ 
pillars easy to rear, the moths are found to pair very readily, 
another circumstance in favour of A. Pernyi compared with its 
relatives Polyphemus and Yama Mai. The species is hardy enough 
to live out of doors in England if birds and predatory insects 
would keep away from the worms. 
The Chinese informed Mr. Meadows that the spring worms were 
of more rapid growth than the autumn brood, coming to their 
full size in about sixty days, while the latter required ninety, or 
even a hundred. He observed that if all the available spaces on 
the sides of the slopes were planted with Oak, the yield of silk 
might be ten times as much as at present. With their wonted 
omnivorous tendencies, the Chinese are said to cook the chrysalis, 
regarding it as a delicacy.—J. It. S. C. 
Gas-tar Walks.—D ry mild weather at this time of year affords 
the season for making or repairing the surfaces of gas-tar walks. The 
Fig. 77.—Cocoon of Attacus Pernyi. 
two requisites are—first, good drainage, which is secured by about 
8 inches of broken stone pounded compactly down, with free outlet 
for water at the lower end ; and second, a waterproof layer over the 
top. The whole being thus kept dry is as little harmed or disinte¬ 
grated by frost as the stone walls of a building while covered by a 
roof. A very cheap waterproof surfacing is afforded by mixing sand 
or sifted ashes or cinders with gas-tar until the whole is saturated, 
yet not fluid, but about the consistence of damp snow or sugar, and 
capable of being packed down solid. The mixing is easily done when 
all the material is warm and the sand or ashes dry. There appears 
to be no advantage other than that in heating the tar. The stone 
foundation being covered with cinders and rolled or beaten solid, the 
mixed preparation is spread on about 2 inches thick and well packed 
down. The packing is often done with a roller, but a beating with a 
spade-back is best if the mixture sticks on the roller, as it is apt to do 
if damp sand is used. Sometimes a roller is used to finish smoothly, 
or a flat-bladed shovel weighted with hot bricks is drawn over. This 
leaves a very smooth, compact, even surface. A covering of sand and 
a board laid over for th e first weeks of use will prevent heel marks, & c. 
Fig. 76.—Attacus Pernyi Moth. 
