are to be gently pulled away, whereupon they will lay their eggs,
having first let fall by the Fundament another humour, esteemed to proceed
from the seed of the males; but the males are then thrown away as useless.
He advertiseth, that if they be coupled longer than 9. or 10. hours, (which
they will be, and that sometimes for 24. hours together, if they be let
alone) either the female will receive very great hurt by it, or much seed
will remain in her belly. {91}

The seed at first coming out is very white, but within a day it becoms
greenish, then red, at last by little and little gray, which colour it
retains alwaies, the most coloured of an obscure gray, being the best;
those grains which never quit their whiteness, having no fecundity in them.

Each female emits ordinarily some 300 grains, more or less, some of them
not being able to render them all, and dying with them in their belly. One
ounce of seed will require an hundred pair of _Cases_, of as many Males as
Females.

Care must be taken, that no Rats, Mice, Ants, or other Vermin, nor any
Hens, or Birds, come near the Seed, they being very greedy to eat them.

This is the substance of what is contained in this _French_ Author,
published at _Paris_ on purpose to promote the _Making_ of _Silk_ there, as
well as it is practised already in other parts of that Kingdom; which is
represented here, to the end, that from this occasion the design, which the
English Nation once did entertain of the _increasing of Mulberry trees_,
and the _Breeding of Silk-worms_, for the _Making of Silk_ within
themselves, may be renewed, and _that_ encouragement given by King _James_
of Glorious memory for that purpose (witness that _Letter_ which he
directed to the Lords Lievtenants of the several shires of _England_) and
seconded by his _Most Excellent Majesty_, that now is, be made use of, for
the honour of _England_ and _Virginia_, and the increase of wealth to the
people thereof; especially since there is cause of hope, that a _double
Silk harvest_ may be made in _one_ Summer in _Virginia_, without hindring
in the least the _Tobacco_-Trade of that Countrey.

* * * * *

_Enquiries concerning _Agriculture_._

Whereas the _Royal Society_, in prosecuting the _Improvements of Natural
knowledge_, have it in design, to collect _Histories of Nature and Arts_,
and for that purpose have already, according to the several Inclinations
and Studies of their M