Well,  the  delusion  under  which  Europeans  labored  was  dissolved
by  two  Nestorian  monks,  who,  eight  centuries  later,  arrived  at  Constan-
tinople from  China  and  told  the  Emperor  what  they  knew  about  silk
culture.  They  were  persuaded  to  further  prosecute  their  investigations,
returning  to  China  for  the  purpose.  Collecting  a  quantity  of  eggs  they
packed  them  in  bamboo  tubes,  and  thus  the  industry  was  introduced  to
the  West.  It  is  reported  that  these  pioneer  eggs  were  hatched  by  the
heat  of  a  manure  heap.
A  moth  will  lay  five  hundred  eggs  in  three  days,  after  which  sne  dies
and  the  male  does  not  long  survive  her.  The  eggs  are  carefully  washed
in  spring  water,  when  about  two  weeks  old,  and  during  the  autumn  and
winter  months  are  preserved  on  pieces  of  paper  or  cloth.  In  the  spring
they  are  placed  upon  bamboo  shelves,  which  are  devoid  of  any  harmful
fragrance,  and  soon  a  hair-like  worm  appears,  which,  when  young,  is  fed
almost  continually;  but,  like  other  babies,  the  time  between  meals  is
gradually  extended.  Besides  mulberry  leaves  the  flour  of  peas,  beans
and  rice  is  given  to  insure  strong  and  glossy  silk.  The  worm  matures
in  thirty-two  days,  having  had  during  that  time  four  periods  of  sleep,
each  of  which  was  accompanied  by  a  casting  of  its  skin;  while  the  new
covering  was  forming  the  worm  slept.  For  a  few  days  previous  to  "the
great  sleep,"  as  the  Chinese  call  it,  the  worm  has  a  voracious  appetite.
