Page 133 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

FABULOUS AND OTHER ANIMALS. 101

circumstances. The rooms are either heated
by warming-pans,
which are carried up and down, or by stoves, warmed to a
certain sufficient to them alive. Even the
degree, just keep
glare of the fire hurts the delicate worms, and much care is
therefore to the flame down. A paper is
necessary keep spread
on mats, well covered with straw, upon which the si lk-moth -
flies of both sexes are They remain about
put. together
twenty-four hours, are then separated, and the females are left
to lay their eggs ; but, as soon as they have performed this
task, they are buried in the earth as useless. The eggs are
then dried upon the paper, which is shortly afterwards rolled
up with the eggs inside. They are then dipped into cold
water for two days ; the paper is then rolled tighter, and ex-
to the of the sun. As soon as the
posed occasionally rays
mulberry tree shoots forth its leaves, the eggs are hatched, by
carefully bringing them into the open air, so that the sun may
warm them, and them in a heated
putting moderately apart-
ment. After a short time, the worms, in the shape of small
ants, make their appearance. Scarcely have they seen the
when to eat the leaves most
light they begin mulberry
and their size and If, how-
voraciously, change shape rapidly.
ever, the greatest care be not bestowed on them, they soon die,
or become useless. Within or
entirely twenty-three twenty-
four come to ; the
days, they maturity caterpillar gradually
declines taking food, and begins to weave. The cocoon is thus
spun around it by itself within seven days, and in seven days
more the from her self-made But
moth-fly escapes grave.
man this before are
anticipates change ; the cocoons, they
bored by the fly, are thrown into kettles with warm water, and
wound off by a very easy process, whilst only a small quantity
is kept for the propagation of the species. Chinese females,
who live in the silk countries, are clever in the
naturally very
treatment of the insect, and exceed, perhaps, every other
nation in this art,"
The silkworm is of there a say-
symbolical industry, being
"
ing, The silkworm spins, the bee gathers," meaning one
should work and save.
This and other industries of China are often
depicted
on porcelain.