Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-10-30
THE SlLK-WORM.
Various Transformations Through
Which It Must Pass.
1t Was Originally a Native of China and
Was Introduced in Europe in 552-
Its Value to Commerce
What 1t Il ,ts.


is supposed to have been indigenous to
China. In that country, at least, the
discovery was first made that the prod
uct of the sill-worm's operations could
be elaborated into articles of human at
tire, richer and moro beautiful than
any to be derived from other sources
At an early period, a considerable
commerce was established in silk be-
tween Eastern and Western ASIA from
which latter quarter it was conveyed to
Europe; but not until tie sixth century
of the Christian era vshs it distinctly
known by Europeans that the splendid
tissues, which they had worn for
moro than thousand years and
which they had oven partially
manufactured fromltho raw transported
material, were tho product originally of
ao0rm The first silk-worms seen in
Europe were brought from China in tho
year 552 by two Persian monks who
had gone thithcr as Christian mission
aries, and who contrived to secretc n
number of tho silk-worms' eggs in
cane, and to escape with them to Con-
stantinople From these few eggs have
sprung all tho successive generations of
silk-worms which have supplied silk to
Europe from that period to tho present
time.
The valuable insect whose history has
been thus briefly detailed receives from
naturalists tho appellation of b0mJyn 1t
is of tho caterpillar tribe, and, like its
congeners, passes through number of
transformations in tho course Of its OK
istence Its first state is that of tho
larva or CATERPILLAR which it enters into
on leaving the egg; its second state is
that of the pupa or ch2ysdhS; and its
third state is that of tho Image or mOth
The silk-worm moth is of considerable
size and is of grayish color. Tho fe-
male moth deposits its eggs on tho null
berry tree, the leaves of which, as will
be afterwards explained, form the sole
subsistence of the silk-worm. This de-
post, whom the creatures arc not under
artificial management, is made about
the middle of summer, and the eggs of
one moth usually amount in number to
3
tho size of mustard-seeds, and, at first,
yellow in color, but afterwards assume
bluish-gray cast
Being fastened by sort of gluo to
the spot, the egg of the silk-worm re-
tains its position, in spite Of wind and
rain, until the period for the Matching
of tho young caterpillar. After autumn
and winter are passed, tho egg opens in
May, and tho worm which issues is
about quarter of an inch in length,
thin in body, and of blackish tint. 1t
soon shows desire for food, and begins
to feed on the mulberry leaves, though
without exhibiting any inclination to
roam from tho spot where it first came
TO life. For eight days it continues to
eat with avidity, and increases to near
ly twice its original magnitude. At the
end of this time it falls into what is
called its first sickness, and leaves off
I eating for three DAYS, when 1t casts it's
first skin. This molting is repeated
four times, at regular intervals before
4. the worm attains the complete cater
| pillar state, which commonly takes
| place about a month after tho Matching
| of the worm. The reason of these sue
ccssive moltings is to be sought for in
increases its bulk many thousand-fold
during these changes. Tho original
/ skin, when once become hardened,
could scarcely be distendcd at rate
| sufficient to accommodate the augment
| ing size of the creature, and therefore a
number of coverings have been pro-
/ vided in embryo to obviate the diff
Guilty. The plan which the worm takes
to get out of its skin is to fasten the
latter to the leaf Gy a sort of silky glue,
which holds it fast, until tho inmate
rubs its head against tho leaf, breaks
off the scales, and finally drags through
its whole body.
Ten days after its fourth melting,
the worm attains its complete cater.
pillar state, and is then about two and
half inches long, with twelve parallel
and equi-distant membranous rings
round its green body, and sixteen legs
arranged in pairs, of which the Ave
posterior ones arc movable, and the
three anterior pairs scaly and immov'
able, serving, seemingly, for supports
only. The caterpillar has fourteen
eyes, seven on each side of the head
and along the body are eighteen holes
for the creatures breathing, each hole
being connected with some kind of res
piratory organ. The mouth is placed
vertically, and the jaws are indented
like the teeth of a saw. Immediately
beneath tho mouth are two small holes
placed close to each other, and through
which proceeds tho silk which the
creature spins. These holes are con
uected with two bags or tubes in the
interior of the body, in which is secret
cd the yellow, gummy substance which
constitutes the silk. These tubes Of
bags are of great length, in comparison
with the animals body, being eacl
about ten inches long. They arc wount
round portion of the intestines. as OF
a spindle. and do not communicate di
rectly with the external holes, but by
means OF sort of crater. pierced witt
uaany openings. through which the sill
gum Ia drawn cut in many filsments