producing a Tusseh silk. They are annual, and are said to remain in the cocoon nine months, and to be three months in the egg and worm state.
"2d, That the species cannot be domesticated; the natives apparently not being able to retain any of it for seed. The hill people say that they go into jungles, and under the Byer and Asseen trees they find the excrement of the insect; on which they examine the tree, and, on discovering the small worms, they cut off branches of the tree sufficient for their purpose, with the young brood on the branches; these they carry to convenient situations near their houses, and distribute the branches on the Asseen tree in proportion to the size thereof, but they put none upon the Byer tree. The Parieahs, or hill people, guard the insects night and day while in the worm state, to preserve them from crows and other birds by day, and from bats by night.
"I have myself seen them," continues the writer, "thus watching the brood. This species cannot be confined, for so soon as the moth pierces the cocoon it gets away; and the people add, that it is impossible to keep it, by any precaution whatever.
"To wind off these cocoons, they put them into a ley made of plantain ashes and water, for about two hours, after which they take them out of the ley, and put them in their wet state into an earthen pot; those which are properly softened are first applied to the reel, and so on, as the cocoons become soft, for four or five days, till the whole are wound off.
