
NATURAL HISTORY, 145 
** Where thefe worms are bred, they no fooner leave 
the eggs than they are fed with mulberry leaves, 
with which they are fupplied every morning, whea 
“the old Jeaves are caretully removed. This infect, 
when firft produced, is extremely fmall, and entirely 
black. Ina few days it aflumes a new habit ; which 
is white, tinged with the colour of its food. And be- 
fore it goes into its chryfalid ftate, it affiumes two 
other dreffes.. At this time, it appears difgufted with 
the world, and voluntarily retires to its folitary grave, 
- which is moft admirably formed with its thread. 
How wonderiul mutt be the ftructure of its body, to 
furnith fuch a thread ; and how aftonifhing the in- 
{tinct which teaches it to make, of this felfproduced 
material, itsown tomb! And how mutt it diminifh 
the pride of man, to confider that he is indebted, for 
his moft gaudy array, to a fubflance, of whicha 
worm forms its fepulchre! Reflect on this, ye poten- 
tates of the earth ; and acknowledge, with humble 
gratitude, your debt to the filkworm; and diveft 
yourfelves of the vain arrogance you affume, when 
‘arrayed in the robes of majefty ! 
When the chryfalid ftate begins, the infect proceeds 
to fpin its filk, in which it is buried. Like the pierced 
iron plates of a wire drawer, this worm produces the 
thread through a pair of holes in aninftruiment placed 
under its mouth. Two drops of gum ferve it as dif- 
taffs, fupplying the fubftance of which fhe fpins the 
thread ; for the gum is no fooner in the air, than it 
Jofes its fluidity, and changes to the filk, in the due 
fize of which the worm is never deceived. She always 
proportions her thread to the weight of her body. 
The cone of filk being formed, and opened, is found 
to confift of the worm, changed to a nymph, and bu- 
ried in its centre, or down, or flue, which is the bad 
part of the filk, and the perfeét part, all ranged with 
great compactnefs and propriety. Itmay be a matter 
of wonder how fo finail a moth as this little worm 
muft neceflarily produce, fhould be able to burit the 
million fold barriers of her place of regeneration. 
The farge omnifcient being who taught it how to 
erect this place of reft, taught it, at the fame time, to 
find an eafy accefs to her aerial exiftence. ‘The new 
animal, with its ai head and feet, directs its ef- 
4 
