This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ...and nearly useless silk, having been first removed. The thread in ordinary use amongst the weavers is spun from seven cocoons. These are all placed at the same time in the earthen saucer, a filament is then taken up from each cocoon, and, being brought together, are rolled between the hand and left thigh of the spinner, which are kept damp by an acid solution of tamarind and water." In Bengal the cocoons are put into boiling water to kill the pupae. In some districts, when intended for sale, they are put in boiling water and dried in the sun. In the Nizam's country the cocoons are loaded with dhobee's earth and alkaline ashes to make the reel. In the Midnapore district they are boiled in cowdung, and reeled by hand. Major Coussmaker, in a letter to me from Bombay, suggests the plan of placing the cocoons inside an earthenware jar, sealing it hermetically, and immersing it for an hour in a vessel of boiling water, and by this process the pupae are killed by dry hot air. He thinks, however, that with this process the chrysalides will not be easy to dessicate, as they are so large and contain so much fatty or oily matter--the lubricating material required for the machinery of the moth's life--the Anthereea being one of that class which does not feed in its perfect state. After having killed the pupae in this way, Major Coussmaker placed half his cocoons out daily in the sun for nine days and the other half let dry indoors, but still was not able to prevent the putrefaction of the pupae, which of course depends on the moisture left in it, and causes the bad smell so common to Tusser silk in its raw state. He says if the drying operation is conducted in an oven the difficulty is to prevent the cocoons from being burnt, and if they are put...