The second article is from the pen of Dr. Helfer, upon those wild silk-worms which are indigenous to India. Besides the _Bombyx mori_, the Doctor enumerates the following seven species, formerly unknown:--1. “The wild silk-worm of the central provinces, a moth not larger than the _Bombyx mori_.” 2. “The Joree silk-worm of Assam, _Bombyx religiosæ_, which spins a cocoon of a fine filament, with much lustre. It lives upon the pipul tree (_Ficus religiosa_), which abounds in India, and ought therefore to be turned to account in breeding this valuable moth.” 3. “_Saturnia silhetica_, which inhabits the cassia mountains in Silhet and Dacca, where its large cocoons are spun into silk.” 4. “A still larger _Saturnia_, one of the greatest moths in existence, measuring _ten inches_ from the _one end of the wing to the other_[139]; observed by Mr. Grant, in _Chirra punjee_”. 5. “_Saturnia paphia_, or the Tusseh silk-worm, is the most common of the native species, and furnishes the cloth usually worn by Europeans in India. It has not hitherto been domesticated, but millions of its cocoons are annually collected in the jungles, and brought to the silk factories near Calcutta and Bhagelpur. It feeds most commonly on the hair-tree (_Zizyphus jujuba_), but it prefers the _Terminalia alata_, or Assam tree, and the _Bombax heptaphyllum_. It is called _Koutkuri mooga_, in Assam.” 6. “Another _Saturnia_, from the neighborhood of Comercolly.” 7. “_Saturnia assamensis_, with a cocoon of a yellow-brown color, different from all others, called _mooga_, in Assam; which, although it can be reared in houses, thrives best in the open air upon trees, of which seven different kinds afford it food. The _Mazankoory mooga_, which feeds on the Adakoory tree, produces a fine silk, which is nearly white, and fetches 50 per cent. more than the fawn colored. The trees of the first year’s growth produce by far the most valuable cocoons. The mooga which inhabits the soom-tree, is found principally in the forests of the plains, and in the villages. The tree grows to a large size, and yields three crops of leaves in the year. The silk is of a light fawn color, and ranks next in value to the Mazankoory. There are generally five breeds of mooga worms in the year; 1. In January and February; 2. In May and June; 3. In June and July; 4. In August and September; 5. In October and November; the first and last being the most valuable.” [139] See p. 40. Also p. 54. footnote [63] Dr. Anderson informs us, that in Madras the silk-worm goes through all its evolutions in the short space of twenty-two days. It appears, however, that the saving of time, and consequently labor, is the only economy resulting from the acceleration; as the insects consume as much food during their shorter period of life, as is assigned to the longer-lived silk-worms of Europe.