The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-01-04
SilkwOrns.

manifested. They eat almost without
cessation, provided appropriate food is
placed before them, from their exit from
the shell to a certain point, when they
stop suddenly = as though they were
full and could hold no. more. In the
meanwhile they are growing in size
rapidly, so that, besides being nourish-
ed by certain properties belonging to
the mulberry leaf, there is elaborated
clear, transparent fluid, which is secret
ed from the homogeneous mass in their
stomachs, and conducted by two very
long, coiled membranous tubes to two
curiously- formed reservoirs, lying on
each side of the body. They have
slight semblance to shot pouches.
When they stop feeding, these sacks
are filed to their utmost capacity. At
that juncture silkworm culturlsts say
the worms die as soon as they spin
cocoon. That is mistaken idea. The
worms do not die, but make rapid
preparation for passing through re-
markable metamorphosis, by developing
into winged insects. During the worm
state, they receive great care. Indeed,
the Japanese silkworm growers seem
more solicitous for the comfort of these
little artisans than for that of their
babies, and devote great deal of time
to their culture. Silk worms have very
delicate constitutions and fine percep-
tive faculties. They dislike excessively
to hear any person shouting, crying,
or sobbing, they dislike any unpleasant
odor, such as might arise from drain
or stable, and they show great uneasi-
ness when they are attended by persons
who are not clean, or by woman who
has lately given birth to a child. They
must be kept from the noise of drum
or the pounding of rice, from the smell
of wine, of smoke, of burnt skin or
hair, and also from all powerful odors,
such as musk. The most singular feat
ure in their development consists in
their four sleeps, called by the japanese:
the sleep of the lion, the sleep of the
eagle, the sleep of the ship, and the
sleep of the banquet. Eight days after
the worms are hatched they cease to
eat, their heads grow large, and become
whitish. If they fall asleep on the
fourth or fifth day, it is sign of i'll
ness, and like weakly Spartan children,
they must be put to death. The healthy
worms. after taking forty-eight hours
nap (the sleep of the lon), are fed
again freely during eight days; they
then take their second nap and continue
alternately eating and sleeping until one
month has passed. After their last
feeding, they creep upon frameworks of
bamboo, twigs, straw, or, according to
the latest patents, network of twine,
and at once commence working for the
ladies, and finish their cocoons in four
weeks. In climbing these tight ropes
they are liable to fall and kill them
selves, or they may go wandering list
lessly about, or blush red, or turn pale,
or get tanned, in all of which cases the
thread of their life is snapped. In
spinning their cocoons, silkworms SIM
ply wind themselves round and round
in soft, silken, flossy material extrud-
ed from their own bodies. The muscu-
lar apparatus by which they accomplish
that operation would be study for a
college theme, and puzzle for many
big wigs. Left to themselves, unmo-
Tested, the apparently dead worms
now in chrysalis state that is, in
profound sleep breathe all the while
through spiracles or openings on each
side, which correspond with orifces in
the new bodies about coming forth.
The thick coat of fat, equivalent to
blubber under the skin of whale, is
absorbed for food while the change is
progressing. When exhausted, the per-
feet butterflies are fnished-stretch out
folded limbs, burst open the old dry
outside worm covering, crawl out of the
cocoons and fit away among the fow-
ers. if not kept prisoners. 1t is the
policy of silkworm growers to do so.
The female soon begins to extrude an
immense volume of eggs. When that
has been concluded, the final cause of
life with them is accomplished. An
other generation of silkworms are thus
secured, and death then closes the
scene. Thus an humble, unsightly
worm is an instrument in the hands of
man for clothing queens and furnishing
gorgeous hanging for palaces.
r,,, Dn.o, oro &c Az bo,+