scientiously of its task, it does nothing but eat, digest, and sleep. In about five days this devouring appetite ceases; the little worm becomes almost motionless, hangs itself by its hind feet, raising and holding a little inclined the anterior part of its body. This repose lasts twenty-four, thirty-six, or forty-eight hours, according to temperature; then the dried-up skin splits open behind the head, and soon along the length of the body. The caterpillar comes out with a new skin, which has been formed during this sleep.

3. The process of insects shedding their old skin and emerging in a new one is usually termed moulting, but in silk-culture it is termed sickness; for this is a critical period in the life of a silk-worm, and many of the weaker ones do not survive it. Before reaching maturity, the skin is changed four times, in periods varying from three to eight days, the worm eating voraciously after each moulting, and becoming nearly dormant for a brief period before the next change. After the skin is shed for the last time, the growth becomes very rapid, and maturity is reached in about ten days, giving the insect a life of about thirty-two days in the larva state.

4. At this point it ceases to eat, and the alimentary canal is entirely emptied of food; it appears restless, wanders about, and seeks to climb. When furnished with a proper kind of branch, it mounts upon it, and, choosing a convenient place, it hangs itself by its hind feet, and soon through its spinner a thread of silk makes its appearThis is at first cast out in any direction, and forms a collection of cords, which shall attach the cocoon to be spun to the surrounding twigs. Next the form of the cocoon is outlined, and then for some hours we can see the worker performing his task through the transparent gauze with which he surrounds himself. Little by little this gauze thickens and grows opaque, until finally it becomes

ance.

a perfect cocoon.

the work is done.

At the end of about seventy-two hours

5. Having once commenced, the worm continues to spin, and the thread is unbroken from one end to the other. The cocoon is thus seen to be really a ball wound

from the inside. The thread which forms it is eleven miles long, and weighs about six grains. Let us for a moment consider the prodigious activity of the silk-worm while spinning its thread. To dispose of the silk, it moves its head in all directions, each movement being about one

sixth of an inch. To finish his task in the seventy-two hours requires about three hundred thousand motions in a day, or sixty-nine every minute. No weaver can equal this in activity for a single hour, and much less would any one be able to keep up to the highest rate of speed for three days in succession.

6. The silk-worm has now changed from the larva to the pupa state. After finishing his cocoon he becomes torpid once more. His body is inclosed in a kind of shell, the color of which is a golden yellow. A very slight movement of the posterior part, which requires the closest attention to observe, is the only sign of life. Yet, within, a most remarkable change is taking place, and in about fifteen days is complete. The shell of the pupa now splits open, as did the skin of the larva, and there emerges a complete butterfly-a creature as unlike the forms through which it has already passed as can well be imagined.

7. This butterfly is almost an inch long and two inches across when its wings are spread. It is of a whitish or pale yellow color. Sex in the silk-worm is developed only in the butterfly form. The male flies about chiefly in the evening, but the females have but little activity. In three days the female deposits about five hundred eggs, and as her work is ended she immediately dies; the life of the male has about the same duration.

8. When the cocoons are spun they are separated into two parts-those which are to be wound, and those which are reserved for hatching the butterflies from which the new supply of eggs is to be obtained. The former are placed in hot water, which kills the pupa within, and the silk is wound off from the outside.

9. Such is a brief history of the life of an insect which forms the basis of one of the greatest industries of the world. Silk-making probably originated in China, and is now extensively carried on in that country and in Japan.

In Europe the principal silk-producing countries are France and Italy. The manufacture has spread into other countries, and it is becoming a quite important industry in the United States.

a

10. In raising cocoons, two things are necessary climate and soil that will produce mulberry-trees (and this is found in the United States almost anywhere south of latitude 43°), and intelligent care during the brief period of the silk-worm's existence. This part of the silk-culture is essentially a home industry. The silkworms require such delicate and individual care that the best results are attained from small orchards of mulberries and a limited amount of worms in one establishment. By devoting an acre or two to the cultivation of the trees, the children and unproductive members of the family can do the very light work necessary during the six weeks' care of the worms. In this way the family can receive a substantial benefit, the profits often being greater from this small number of trees than from all the remainder of the farm. The demand for cocoons is so great that there is no danger of overstocking the market.

HONEY-GATHERERS.

1. IN all ages the bee communities have been regarded with great interest by observers of nature. The facts resulting from even a cursory observation are such as to excite admiration and astonishment. Here, among diminutive insects, is found a society perfectly organized and well ordered; the members continually industrious and showing a wise thrift in regard to the future, and displaying a high degree of seeming intelligence in adapt

ing means to ends. It is observed, also, that they are archi. tects of no mean order, constructing communal homes perfectly adapted to the needs of the individual, and serving in the highest degree the wants of the whole. In constructing hexagonal cells, they choose the only form that would economically fill the entire space, leaving no waste room, and in this they show that they possess geometric art, though they may not be acquainted with geometric

science.

2. A little closer observation reveals other facts of great interest. A single queen is found in each community, who is at once the mother and the ruler of the society, and to her loyal homage is paid by all the members. The society itself is divided into drones and workers, the former males and few in number, and the latter neuters, constituting the mass of the community. It is seen, also, that the cells are used for different purposes, and for each use they are of somewhat different structure. The mass of the cells are for the purpose of storing honey, and this forms the honey-comb which is brought to the table. In other cells the eggs are deposited and the young bees kept while in their pupa state. These cells are of three kinds, as adapted, respectively, to the queen, the workers, and the drones, the royal cell being several times larger than the others. In other cells is stored the food known as beebread, upon which the larva is fed, the royal jelly, fed to prospective queens exclusively, being kept by itself.

3. The workers gather honey principally from flowers, storing it in the honey-cells for food during the winter; and at a certain time before the honey season ends they expel the drones from the hive, and leave them to perish for want of food. The phenomenon of swarming is also well known. At a period, usually in early summer, the whole hive seems to be in a state of commotion, and great numbers of bees collect in masses upon the outside of their hive.