arrested civilisations of Thibet, China, Hindostan,
and Persia. This canine series would thus
bring the animal, successively modified, from the
savage type to the type of our first–rate domestic
dogs, the stewards and deputies of man, the
companions of his labours, and the distributors of
his action over other animals. The chain of
living progress would terminate with the dog of
the United States of America, who churns the
butter, who fulfils various household functions,
and whose form, cultivated by man, denotes an
cative and superior state of society.

If the society will acclimate these latter
dogs, there may be a hope of further training
them to act as waiters at the restaurants and
box–openers at the theatres. But—— The
elephant is scarcely less intelligent and useful
than the dog, although his size unfits him to
be the companion and the playfellow of man.
Where is the elephantine series to show the
successive progress which the mighty beast has
made under the influence of human civilisation?

Of course no silkworms were to be seen at
the Bois de Boulogne in the month of December;
although our enthusiastic correspondent
has been able to defy the seasons, having for
years had them constantly living in the larva
state, from January to December, by keeping
them in boxes tied round his body, the building,
however, and the fittings of the magnanerie
are complete and in working order, and will be
to be seen in full action soon after the trees
have come into leaf. It will be a most interesting
object for excursionists who care for something
more than every–day sight–seeing. It
demonstrates the solution of the problem how to
keep silkworms in multitude; which must be
done, if they are to be turned to any commercial
account. Our correspondent, like many other
amateurs, always succeeded well when keeping
them in small quantities; but when having them
in large numbers, and expecting perfect success,
he failed, having lost millions in a day.

The ailanthus silkworm will have to be
subjected to the same management as that of the
mulberry; only, being a robuster caterpillar, it
will bear more exposure and freer ventilation;
and, being larger, more room must be allotted
to the same number of individuals. They are
kept in the magnanerie on separate open shelves,
well exposed to the light and air, and arranged
in the same way as those in the piece of furniture
called a what–not. To the worms on these
shelves fresh leaves are distributed at regular
intervals. The most healthy plan would be the
open–air rearing of the worms on growing bushes,
but it is attended with several inconveniences.
During the long days of summer, these caterpillar
colonies would have to be kept or watched,
to protect them from enemies, not only all day
long, but for several of those hours which are
usually called night; for the proverb says that
it is the early bird which gathers most worms.
Another deadly enemy defies all watching—the
ichneumon fly, or flies, for there are several,
which lay their eggs in the caterpillar's body,
by the maggots hatched from which the
caterpillar is inevitably destroyed before it attains
the age of spinning. Ichneumons may be kept
out of buildings by covering the ventilators with
wire–gauze, like that of meat–safes. They might
also perhaps be diverted by other prey, if a
clump of luxuriant cabbages, such as would
serve for a bower for Smith O'Brien, were
planted close to the silkworms' abode, and well
stocked with larvae of the cabbage butterfly.
Stint of food and irregular feeding are the most
deadly enemies of all.

Therefore must profuse planting be looked to
as the first foundation of sericiculture. In silk–
growing districts many landed proprietors make
large profits, not by rearing worms themselves,
but by selling leaves to those who do.
Mulberry foliage, with them, comes into the
category of clover, hay, and other fodder; it is a
crop for the maintenance of live stock. The
same will be the case with ailanthus leaves on
the spread and adoption of the new silkworm.
This, if possible in England and Ireland, will
have the merit of creating a national manufacture;
unlike the cotton trade, we shall not have
to send abroad for the raw material, but shall
produce it ourselves. But even with an abundant
supply of leaves, it is not advisable for the
same person to attempt rearing on too large a
scale; a moderate quantity is a safer speculation,
on account of the number of attendants
required. For no kind of live stock is the master's
eye more indispensable than for the thriftiness
of silkworms. It has the advantage of
furnishing employment to labourers and their
wives and children at a season of the year when
the labours of the field are not yet very pressing.
The spinning process affords occupation on the
largest scale. But in all silk–gowing countries
the three principal steps of the process have
been gradually separated and performed by
different persons, so as to constitute that division
of labour which is mostly so advantageous
for all parties. One set of farmers plant mulberry–
trees, and sell the leaves; another set buy
the leaves, rear the worms, and sell the
cocoons; and lastly, the spinners buy the
cocoons, spin them, and sell the silk.
Unfortunately, in the case of any newly introduced
branch of industry, the same person is obliged
to do all himself; he is compelled to be planter,
rearer, and spinner, all at once, and it is
extremely difficult to do all equally well.

To give a few concluding hints: ants are
great enemies to silkworms, and must be kept
away by the usual means, such as strewing
guano in their runs. Rats and mice are very
fond of silkworms, and especially of the
chrysalises. They will sometimes get into a heap of
cocoons without exciting any suspicion of their
presence, and will gnaw into the cocoons one
after the other, without sparing a single one, in
order to feast on their contents. Noise is said
to be disagreeable to silkworms, which may or
may not be a prejudice; but the vibration
attending loud long–continued noises is certainly
better avoided. All offensive smells are
extremely dangerous; and even aromatic perfumes