A natural history containing many not common observations extracted out of the best modern writers / by Sir Thomas Pope Blount, Baronet.

Observations concerning the SILK∣WORM.

THE use of SILK was brought over from the East-Indies in∣to Europe above a Thousand Years since, and was particularly intro∣duc'd into Italy by Two Religious Men, who brought thither the Grain of it somewhat above Three Hun∣dred Years since; in which Coun∣try of Italy, that Commodity hath been much Cultivated, and that up∣on several Accounts; as, the pre∣ciousness of it, the easie Transpor∣tation from one place to another, by Reason of its lightness: And lastly, for that it is one of the prin∣cipal

Instruments of Luxury, which never wanted Partizans and Abet∣tors in any Age, not to mention the great Advantages and Wealth attending the Manufacture of it. The Latine Word SERICUM is re∣ceived from that of SERES, an O∣riental People, who were more Sedulous in the Cultivation of it than any other: And the same thing that hath happen'd to this, as to many other Excellent Pro∣ductions deriv'd from mean an de∣spicable Principles. For the Animal, from whose Labour we have the SILK, is an Insect, as are all those which Spin, to wit, the Spider and the Caterpillar, and it differs in no∣thing from this latter, save that the Caterpillar hath a little Hairiness, and the Silk of the Silk-Worm is stronger than the Web of the Cater∣pillar, and of another Colour, but as to figure and bulk there is little difference between them. Whereto may be added, that their producti∣on is much at one, as being as it

were hatch'd of certain Eggs, liv∣ing on Leaves, inclosing themselves in certain Webs, out of which they make their way, after they are be∣come a kind of Butterflies, by a strange Metamorphosis, which forces them from one Extremity to ano∣ther, That is, from the Nature of Reptiles to that of Volatiles: Which Transformation is such, as, were it not for the frequency of it, might be plac'd among the greatest Mira∣cles of Nature, considering the great difference there is between those Two Forms. And that in∣deed is such, as hath given some occasion to doubt, whether the SILK-WORM becoming a BUT∣TERFLY did not change its Spe∣cies, as certainly it would, were it not that every thing produces its like; and the SILK-WORM deri∣ving its Birth from the Seed of the BUTTERFLY, it is an Argument that both are of the same Species. Thus much as to their Progress. The Kingdom of Spain commonly

furnishes us with the best Grain or Seed of these Worms, which are like Heads of Pins, but black, or resembling Rape-Seed, somewhat flatted on both sides: This Grain, sometime in the Month of April, being put between two warm Pil∣lows, or expos'd to the Sun, en∣clos'd in the Linings of ones Cloaths, or otherwise chased by a moderate Heat, but without any Moisture, there are produc'd o•• it little certain Worms of the same Colour, that is, black at their first coming forth, which by Reason of their smallness, as resembling the Points of Needles, pass through certain little Holes made in a Pa∣per, wherewith they are cover'd, and fasten themselves on the Mul∣berry-Leaves, which are also placed on the said Paper full of little Holes, upon which Leaves all the best Grain being hatch'd, within Five or Six Days, goes creeping after the first Worm that gets out of her Shell; all that is hatch'd after∣wards

never coming to any good. These Worms are thence transport∣ed, with the Leaves laid upon little Boards or Hurdles, into a temperate place, and dispos'd in a lightsome and spacious Room, where they are Entertain'd with fresh Leaves twice a Day, among which those of the White Mulberry make finer SILK, than those of the Black; for want whereof, the Leaves of the Rose-Bush, Lettice, and some others may be used: But though the Worm makes a shift to Subsist by that Nourishment, yet either it will not Spin at all, or the SILK will be like the Web or Clue wrought by the Caterpillars. Thus it feeds for the space of Forty Days, during which it becomes Grey, and changes its Colour four times, not eating for some Days before each Change, by reason of the fullness it is then sensible of. The Worm is subject to certain Dis∣seases; and those oblige such as have the care of them to remove

them out of one Room into ano∣ther, and that even when they are dying in great quantities; Perfume, Incense, Benjamin, Vinegar, and Wine recovering and comforting them; as also the smell of broil'd Bacon. To prevent which Diseases, and the Assaults of Flies and Pis∣mires, who will make havock a∣mong them, they are very careful∣ly to be kept clean, the Boards on which the Leaves lie to be rubb'd with Wormwood, or sprinkled with Wine, which must be well dry'd up before they come near them, all moisture being hurtful to them, as also Salt, or the hands that have handled it. All harsh sounds, as those of the discharging of Muskets, Bells, and Trumpets, destroy them; nay, the strong Breaths of those who come near them, especially such as have eaten or handled Gar∣lick or Onions, are very prejudicial to them. When their time of Spin∣ning draws nigh, which is about Six Weeks after their being first a∣live

at which time they are about the bigness of a Man's little Finger, more transparent than they use to be, and the little Snowt so length∣ned, as that it represents the form of a Nose, the Animal by an ex∣traordinary motion, expresses the inconvenience it endures by Reason of its burthen: Then is it cleans'd oftner, and there is so much the less given it to eat, and afterwards they set on the Boards some dry'd Branches of Heath, Broom, or Vines, and above all of Birch, as being the most delicate and least prickly, lest it should prick the Worm, or entangle the SILK. Then you shall see them fasten their first Threads, and casting out of their Mouths a kind of coarse Sleeve SILK, and afterwards that which is finer and more perfect, in one continu'd Thread, accompa∣ny'd with a Gum, which makes it stick one to another, so that the Worm does encompass it self with that SILK, which is commonly

Yellow, very seldom Greenish or White, and being come to the end of the Clue, hath only so much room as it takes up. Then, for the space of Fifteen Days, it re∣mains immoveable, and is cover'd with a Skin of Film like that which covers the Fruit of the Pine-Tree, under its Shell, and which appears not till after that is broken. But these Fifteen Days being ove•• (of which those will abate some, who are desirous to make advantage of the SILK, and trouble not them∣selves what becomes of the Grain) the SILK-WORM, though it seem'd to have been dead, breaks through its Web, and comes out in the form of a White and Horned BUT∣TERFLY, bearing a certain Image of the Resurrection; then coming together, the Male, which is smal∣ler, coupling with the Female that is bigger, the latter sheds her Seed upon a clean Paper, spread under her for the Reception of it. The Seed being carefully put into a Box.

is either kept for the next Year, or sold by the Ounce; they com∣monly keep as much as comes from a Hundred Males, and so many Females; the Grain or Seed where∣of, before their Copulation, is barren. Now, if they be desirous to get SILK out of it, which is the prin∣ciple Advantage, in order to which the Worms are kept, about Fifteen Days after they are compleated, these Webs are cast into Water, somewhat better than luke-warm, and the Women and Children em∣ploy'd about that Work, stir the Water with an handful of Birch, till they have fasten'd on Seven or Eight Ends of SILK, which hav∣ing done, they wind it up into Skains, and that is the Raw SILK. PHILOS. CONFER. of the VIR∣TUOSI of France, Vol. 2. Pag. 402, 403, 404.

'Tis to be imagin'd that the use of SILK was absolutely unknown to the Iews, especially when we consider, that in the Works of that 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

of the Worm the Head of the Fly. But Sig. Malpighius makes no men∣tion hereof; neither is it any way likely to be so. GREW's Mus. Reg. Soc. Pag. 176.

An Ingenious Gentlewoman of my Acquaintance, Wise to a Learn∣ed Phisician, taking much Pleasure to keep SILK-WORMS, had once the Curiosity to draw out one of the Oval Cases, (which the SILK∣WORM Spins, not, as 'tis common∣ly thought, out of its Belly, but out of the Mouth, whence I have taken Pleasure to draw it out with my Fingers,) into all the SILKEN∣Wire it was made up of, which, to the great Wonder as well of her Husband, as her self, who both in∣form'd me of it, appear'd to be by Measure a great deal above Three Hundred Yards, and yet weighed but two Grains and a half: So that each Cylindrically shap'd Grain of SILK may well be reckon'd to be at least One Hundred and Twenty Yards long. ROB BOTLE of E••flu∣viums, Pag. XI.