HORSE BREEDING IN RUSSIA. 
237 
wing-moth (Catocala sponsa) ; and Wilhelm says 
that the experiment has been successfully tried 
in Germany with the silk of the emperor moth 
(<§aturnia pavonia minor). Both these species 
may be found in England; the former in Kent, 
Surrey, Berkshire, and Hampshire, feeding on 
the oak; the latter in Kent, Surrey, Yorkshire, 
Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Shropshire, feeding 
on blackthorn, aider, oak, bramble, rose, elder, 
&c. Britain produces more than two thousand 
species of moths and butterflies; yet none of 
their caterpillars do we turn to any useful ac¬ 
count This is only one instance, out of many 
that might be mentioned, of our slowness, prej¬ 
udice, or indifference about availing ourselves 
of the benefits we might derive from many of 
our natural productions at present neglected. 
Over the surface of the large heaps of maize 
which are laid up in store in Mexico, the cater¬ 
pillars of a small moth spin a large delicate 
silken web, four or five yards long, known there 
by the name of the Tela de Maiz, or maize 
cloth. The inhabitants use it as a styptic, or 
dressing for recent wounds, as the spider’s web 
is used in many parts of Europe. 
In some places, lantern flies are used instead 
of candles. Madame Merian relates the fright 
she experienced when she opened a box con¬ 
taining some lantern flies, and beheld it full on 
fire. [We have kept for a long period, by feed¬ 
ing with the moistened sugar cane, its natural 
aliment, a species of large beetle, found in Cuba 
and elsewhere, called cucullio, having two lumin¬ 
ous spots on its head, which are always visible 
in the dark. A slight excitement or agitation 
will induce them to throw out sufficient light to 
read by. They can, besides, open the outer 
covering on their breast, and display a diamond- 
shaped light, more than five eighths of an inch 
in length, and of great lustre. When flitting 
about their native fields, at night, they exhibit a 
wonderful brilliancy. Numbers of them are fre¬ 
quently caught by the planters, and thrown in¬ 
to glass parlor lanterns, tastefully constructed 
for this purpose, where they afford an agreea¬ 
ble light for the evening, without the unpleasant 
accompaniments of heat or smoke. The Cuban 
belles, also, contrive to fasten them in their hair, 
and various parts of their transparent evening 
dresses, and thus present a brilliancy, which no 
jewels, not even that of the great mogul, can 
match.— Eds.] 
The larvae of Cicada limbata , found in various 
parts of the Chinese empire, produces a kind of 
white wax. They inhabit most of the southeast 
provinces of China as well as of Cochin-China, 
but the best exist in the provinces of Se-tchuen 
and Yu man, and from the territories of Hen- 
tcheou and Yung-tcheou. The wax insect does 
not much exceed in size, of the common fly ; ev¬ 
ery part of it appears to be perfectly white, or at 
least, to be completely covered with a white 
powder; and the head is furnished with pecti¬ 
nated antennae arched forwards. In its mature 
state, the wax insect is furnished with wings. 
The stems of the privet-like shrub on which 
these insects swarm, appear entirely whitened 
by a substance or powder strewed upon them; 
the same in nature, apparently, as that with 
which the body of the insect is covered. At a 
later period of their larva state, the insects at¬ 
tain a blackish chestnut color, and form on the 
tree, little pelotons, each about the size of a 
grain of millet. These are attached to the 
branches, somewhat in the manner of bunches 
of grapes, the tree appearing, at first sight, as 
though bearing fruit. The natives gather these 
pelotons about the month of April or May, and, 
having wrapped them up in the broad leaves of 
Yo, (a kind of grass,) suspend them from the 
trees. Towards the beginning of the spring, 
they increase in size; and on the coming of the 
warm, midsummer weather, they open, the in¬ 
sects emerge from them, crawl about on the 
leaves and stalks, and deposit their valuable 
wax, called by the Chinese Tchang-pe-la. It is 
at first somewhat similar to a white grease; but 
it speedily hardens, and then assumes more the 
character of wax. When in a fit state, it is 
scraped from the branches, generally in the 
autumnal months, and collected in a vessel. By 
pouring the melted wax into cold water, it coag¬ 
ulates into a paste, which is easily formed into 
cakes. Sir G. Staunton says it will also coag¬ 
ulate when mixed with oil and other oleaginous 
substances, so as to be fit for making candles. 
When composed of one part wax, dissolved in 
three parts of olive oil, it is nearly as firm as 
bees’ wax, and is much superior to it. The 
candles made of this wax, yield a clear light 
without smoke; but owing to their being rather 
costly, they are used chiefly by the highest 
classes in China. 
The medicinal virtues of the wax are highly 
commended by Tchi-hen and other Chinese 
physicians; but their enumeration of its cura¬ 
tive properties too much resemble the style of 
Culpeper and old Gerard, to seem worthy of im¬ 
plicit belief. It is thought to have a wonderful 
tendency to assist the replacement of dislocated 
bones, to unite dissevered nerves, to heal wounds, 
to stop bleeding, and appease pain. 
HORSE BREEDING IN RUSSIA. 
With respect to the establishments destined 
for the breed of horses, there are seven crown 
studs; two in the Voronega government, (Khre- 
notf and Tchesme,) four in the government of 
KharkofF, (Belovod,) and one in that of Nizni- 
Novgorod (Potchinki). The first two are for 
the breed of horses of superior blood, so that 
the stud of Tchesme, contains race horses ex- 
exclusivcly—that of Khrenoff saddle horses and 
roadsters (trotteurs). The other establishments 
produce ordinary horses only, whether for rid¬ 
ing or draught. 
On the 1st of January, 1848, there were 4,767 
horses in these crown studs. On the same day 
last year, 4,837 ; making an increase of 70 in 
the twelvemonth. During the year in question, 
the horses sold amounted in number, to 684, of 
which 595 were the offspring of these studs, and 
89 reconditioned from the country stables. The 
proceeds of the sale were 82,625 silver roubles 
and 88£ kopeks. 
The object proposed in the sale was twofold— 
