The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects; Together with a Description of the Habits and Economy of Some of the Most Interesting SpeciesFiguier, Louis
Science
The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects; Together with a Description of the Habits and Economy of Some of the Most Interesting Species
Figuier, Louis
Insects
During the fifth age, the worms become large so quickly that on the
fifth or sixth day they are obliged to be moved away from each other
on the litter. The _délitement_ must be made every two days, or
indeed, every day now, on account of the enormous amount of the
excrement; and, at the same time, a good ventilation must be
constantly maintained. The temperature of the room should now be kept
to 24°, without ever exceeding this degree of heat. When it is
perceived that the worms wish to ascend, or _mount_, there are placed
on the tables, at certain distances from each other, little sprigs of
heather or very dry branches of light wood.
[Illustration: Fig. 213.--Sprigs of heather arranged so that Silkworms
may mount into them.]
When the worms begin to mount into the heather, one must
_encabaner_--that is to say, form with these branches little hedges,
curved back like a hut or cradle, the openings of which are, on an
average, seventeen inches or so (Fig. 213). At the expiration of
twenty-four hours all the good worms have mounted. The laggards who
remain under the _cabanes_ are taken off by hand, and placed on a
table, which is immediately _encabanea_.
The cocoons spun on these branches of heather ought to be large,
heavy, and well-shaped. The good cocoons are regular; their ends are
rounded and not pierced; and they are hard, especially at their
extremities, and have a fine grain. They are cylindrical. The best are
drawn in towards the middle, or have a concavity on either side of it
(Fig. 215). Every one knows that there are white and yellow cocoons.
They are the produce of different races of worms.
Commerce recognises two kinds of white silk: the _first white_ and the
_second white_. The silk of the _first white_ is produced by the race
_Sina_, the cocoons of which are of a perfect and azured white. They
produce the most beautiful and most precious silk, and serve for the
fabrication of light and delicate coloured tissues. The silk of the
_second white_ is furnished by two races: the _Espagnolet_ and the
_Roquemaure_.
[Illustration: Fig. 214.--Spherical cocoon of the Bombyx mori.]
[Illustration: Fig. 215.--Cocoon of Bombyx mori, drawn in towards the
middle.]
The races that produce yellow cocoons are more numerous than the white
ones. The yellow races are divided into three groups: those that have
small, middle-sized, or large cocoons. The first and second are
stronger, and more esteemed than the last.
The greater number of the races of silkworms have, let us here
mention, white and yellow cocoons; there are some, however, whose
cocoons are of a greenish white, or even quite green, or of a reddish
green. One race, raised in Tuscany, near Pistoia, has cocoons of a
pale rose colour; and, lastly, mention has been made of cocoons of a
purple colour.
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