Of such species as _Attacus pyri_, of Central Europe, and _Attacus
pernyi_, the North Chinese oak silkworm, which I have mentioned in my
previous reports, and bred every season for several years, I shall only
say that I never could rear Pyri in the open air in London, up to the
formation of the cocoon. As to Pernyi, I had, in 1881, an immense
quantity of splendid moths, from which I obtained the largest quantity
of ova I ever had of this species. I had many thousands of fertile ova
of Pernyi, which I was unable to distribute. Many schoolboys reared
Pernyi worms, but with what success I do not yet know. The number of
fertile ova obtained from Pyri moths was also more considerable than in
former years, which was due partly to the good quality of the pupae, and
partly to the very favorable weather in June, at the time the pairings
of the moths took place.
Leaving these, I now come to the North American species.
_Telea polyphemus_.--As I have stated in former years, this is the best
North American silkworm, producing a closed cocoon, somewhat smaller
than that of Pernyi, but the silk seems as good as that of Pernyi.
The cocoons of Polyphemus I had in 1881 were smaller and inferior in
quality to those I had before. Those received in 1878 and 1879 were
considerably finer and larger than those which were sent in 1880 and
1881; besides, they were sent in much larger quantities. The cocoons
received this year (1882) are finer than those of 1881, but yet they
cannot be compared with those of 1878 and 1879.
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