Photo by C. N. Mavroyeni] [Smyrna.
CYPRESS-CATERPILLARS.
When they leave their cocoons, the young caterpillars run up the tree to feed.
We have now completed a rapid survey of the principal groups of Butterflies and Moths, and may fittingly conclude this part of our subject by giving a short account of the history of Silkworms—insects which far surpass all other butterflies and moths in their importance to mankind, on account of the valuable product which is obtained from their cocoons. The industry has been carried on from time immemorial in China; and many old Chinese works contain interesting particulars, especially relating to the rearing of silkworms by the queens and their ladies, for silk was probably a royal monopoly in old times. These Chinese records date back to about 2200 B.C., when the silk industry was already flourishing; but, according to the usually received tradition, silkworms were first reared during the reign of the Emperor Hwang-té (2640 B.C.) by his queen. The following extracts from the "Le-he Book of Ceremonies," written between 204 B.C. and 135 B.C., and quoted by Horsfield and Moore in their "Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of the East India Museum," may not be uninteresting to our renders:—
Photo by J. Peat Millar] [Beith.
DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH.
Remarkable for the skull-like pattern on the back.
"In the first month of spring orders were issued to the forester not to cut down the mulberry-trees; and when the cooing doves were observed fluttering with their wings, and the crested jays alighting upon the mulberry-trees, people were to prepare the trays and frames for the purpose of rearing the silkworms.