Fig. 221.—Larva of Attacus (Bombyx) Yama-Maï.
The silk of Yama-Maï is as bright as that of the mulberry silkworm, but a little less fine and strong, and occupies the first rank after it. If we could succeed in acclimatising this species it would supply any deficiency there might be in our crops of ordinary silk.
The eggs of the Attacus Yama-Maï were brought from Japan—where this worm is reared—conjointly with the mulberry silkworm, in 1862. The larvæ hatched at Paris, in 1863, were green, of a great size, remained in that state eighty-two days, and were easily reared. Their cocoon resembles that of the mulberry species. It is composed of a beautiful silk of a silvery whiteness in the interior, and of a more or less bright green on the exterior. The moth is very large and beautiful, of a bright yellow colour, approaching orange.
We give a drawing of the Attacus Yama-Maï, taken from the plates which accompany M. Guérin-Méneville's memoir. [65]
Fig. 222.—Cocoon of Attacus (Bombyx) Yama-Maï.