Skin wrinkles, shrinks into Folds, and by little and little the Insect gets it off him with
his Feet.
It appears now in its third Habit ; and so different are its Head, its Colour, and its
whole Form, that one would take it for another Creature. It feeds again some Days, and
is then seized with a new Lethargy and Convulsions, and flings off another Skin ; after
which its Appetite returns, and it feeds voraciously, growing continually larger and whiter,
with a delicate Smoothness and Transparency of its Skin, which foretells the Time of its
Spinning being near at hand. It then leaves off feeding for the Remainder of its Life, and
seeks some Corner where it begins to form its Web.
But to return to our feeding them with Lettice-Leaves, which must be their Provision
till the Mulberry Trees shoot out. Care must be taken that the Leaves be perfectly dry
when put to them ; (for any Moisture does them Harm ;) and that they be not given in too
great Quantity at once, but fresh and often.
As the Creatures grow they must be divided into two or more Dripping-pan-formed Pa-
pers, in proportion to their Number ; observing, during the whole Course of their Changes,
never to crowd Multitudes of them together ; for doing so breeds an Infection sometimes
amongst them, that carries off a great many.
When they begin to feed on Mulberry-Leaves, (which should be given them as soon as
such Leaves can be got) they will thrive much faster than before. But then they must
never be left without Food, for as they live but a short Period before they begin to spin,
and after that live almost as long without eating any thing, they make the best Use of their
Time, and are feeding continually till their Changes come. A great deal of their Welfare
depends likewise on keeping them perfectly clean and sweet, by clearing the Papers of their
Dung and the Remains of their Leaves, as often as there is Occasion.
When they arrive at their full Growth, and forsaking their Food begin to spin in some
Corner of the Dripping-Pan, each of them must be put in a little Paper-Cone of about an
Inch and half Diameter at its open End. These Cones should be sewed together in
Couples, and hung across a Pack-thread Line, or fastned to it singly, as your Number or
Fancy shall direct.
The Silk-Worm's Manner of making Silk
LET us now behold this industrious Animal at work, a Sight which must fill the at-
tentive Observer with an equal Mixture of Delight and Wonder. After surveying
the Dimensions of her Paper-Cone, she begins to form her Web, applying her Mouth to
different Parts of the Paper, and then pulling her Head away with a slow but equal Mo-
tion. To explain the Meaning of this, it is necessary to take notice, that immediately be-
low her Mouth are a Couple of little Holes, which are the Outlets of a long and slender
Bag filled with a kind of yellow viscid Juice or Gum. Wherever the little Creature ap-
plies these two Openings, the viscid Juice adheres, and when the Head is drawn back,
continuing to slow through them, receives their Form (as Wire does from the Hole it is
pulled through) and lengthens into a double Thread, which instantly losing the Fluidity of
the Juice composing it, obtains the Consistence of Silk. These two Threads she unites in
one, glewing them together with a Sort of Fingers on her Fore-Paws ; and at the Begin-
ning of her Work fastens them here and there as it were at random, and soon encom-
passes herself with a loose and hasty Covering, just sufficient (was she abroad) to defend
?er from the Rain. Within this she weaves another Case, made of the finest Silk, dis-
posed with the utmost Regularity, and rendered so perfectly compact as to prevent any
Admission of the Air. Nor is she contented with these two Coverings, but forms within
them both a kind of Shell, composed of Silk and Glew, and resembling a very strong
Stuff, which not only can repel Water and Air, but be a good Security against the Rigour
of the severest Frosts.
Thus defended from Danger, she undergoes a most amazing Metamorphosis, relinquishes
intirely her former Figure, and appears, if taken out of these Cases, a crustaceous Acorn-
like Body, having neither Head, Legs, Eyes, or any distinct Part, and but very sew Signs
of Life. In short, she becomes a Nympb or Chrysalis.
She continues thus, seemingly dead and intombed, for a Fortnight, three Weeks, or
sometimes a longer Time, when she obtains a glorious Resurrection, and comes out pro-
vided with four beauteous Wings, of a Cream-Colour, almost white, with regular and
uniform Lines of a very light grey on each, and covered all over with delicate downy
Plumes. She has two fine Eyes, a Pair of Horns exquisitely branched, and her Body
and six Legs are every where adorned with Hairs and Feathers of a most curious Structure,
