. The American entomologist. Entomology. THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. impeded. But even if favored with such a source of supply, we would find the Thracian honey a poor substitute for the $80,000,000 worth of sugar now annually imported into the United States. The dye furnished by the cochineal in- sects has also had and passed its day of high importance. The splendor of the Tyrian purple lives only in tradition, but we may fairly doubt whether it surpassed the best cochineal in richness of tint. The dark ages sadly needed bright colors. Few of the gifts of the Western continent have been of mor
. The American entomologist. Entomology. THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. impeded. But even if favored with such a source of supply, we would find the Thracian honey a poor substitute for the $80,000,000 worth of sugar now annually imported into the United States. The dye furnished by the cochineal in- sects has also had and passed its day of high importance. The splendor of the Tyrian purple lives only in tradition, but we may fairly doubt whether it surpassed the best cochineal in richness of tint. The dark ages sadly needed bright colors. Few of the gifts of the Western continent have been of more service to mankind than the scarlet and crimson juices of the coccus; l)ut now, its brightest tints seem pale beside the sunset glow of the aniline colors. The Silkworm still retains its original importance, and is at present the most valuable of all insects to mankind. While no substitute for silk has been discovered, and perhaps none will ever be, a prophecy [Fig. 39.]. to that eltect would not be quite safe. For instance: the limit of change in the properties of glass may not have been reached in the new processes of hardening it; suppose we could vulcanize it, as we do India-rubber; how long would it be before spun glass would be wound upon bobbins and woven in looms ? Whatever rival it may have to meet in the future, silk has at least an unbroken record of favor throughout the whole re- corded history of civilization. • Every- where it is associated with ideas of opulence and luxury. Its bright threads are inter- woven with and gleam out through the ro- mances of every age. The discovery of the uses of silk must have been made at a very remote period, at least as far back as the era of the Mediterranean mythologies. The Egyptians attributed the invention to Isis, the Greeks to Minerva, the Lydians to Arachne. The ladies last-named had an unhappy quarrel. Arachne was the daughter of a dyer, and hence had a good introduction to the textile arts early in life. Especially
Size: 3397px × 736px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectentomology, bookyear1
