HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



J 59 



and our chat becomes professorial. Now, with these 

 general principles in mind, we can pass from the 

 common worm {Lumbriciis terrestris) to the green 

 worm (Z. viridis), which is found under stones in 

 cattle fields, and is distinguished by its colour. The 

 other distinctions as well as the name-aliases are 

 omitted because the worms are being re-arranged by 

 the systematists, and until their terminology assumes 

 some definite form the old and established terms 

 had better be retained to avoid confusion. Another 

 British worm (Z. anatomicus) is distinguished from 

 the foregoing by the marked difference which exists 

 between the two extremities of the body. It may be 

 noted that in works on Biology by Huxley and 

 Martin, Lloyd Morgan, Harvey Gibson and others, 

 the common worm is selected as a type. Differing 

 widely in external appearance from the foregoing, is 



worms bears the name of Allolobophora, and is by no' 

 means rare. In similar situations, and on the margins 

 of ponds, tarns and lochs, a curious and instructive 

 worm with a square contour (Allurus tetradrus\ 

 (Fig. 89), instead of a round or oval shape, is often met 

 with. I have taken it plentifully in May near Carlisle, 

 along with other wormdike creatures which love 

 the same locality, but have a flat ventral surface and a 

 suctorial organ on the posterior as well as the anterior 

 extremity, showing that they belong to sub-class 

 Hirudinea, which contains the leeches or suctorial 

 annelids. 



When the collector has exhausted his hunting- 

 grounds he may turn with some amount of hope to the 

 green-houses and hot-houses of his friends, and if these- 

 are frequently receiving new consignments of foreign 

 plants there is little doubt but that in a short time 



Fig. 89. — Allurus tetradrus. A square worm found under stones by Fig. go.— A UoloboJ>/iora Boechii. A round worm in, 

 streams and ponds. X 2. cl, clitellum. similar places ; greenish. Head X 3. 



Fig. 92. — Diagrammatic sections of Megascolex 

 (a), Luvibricus {b), and Allurus (c), all from 

 preserved specimens in the author's collection. 



Fig. gr. — Megascolex (?) found at Kendal, in greenhouse. 



Fig. 93. — Lumbricas terrestris (common Earthwcrm). X 2. 



the pretty Brandling {A. falida), a favourite bait for 

 trout. The colour is a ruddy brown, with alternate 

 bands of yellow, and when the animal is disturbed or 

 placed in spirits it exudes a pungent yellow fluid of 

 a striking character. The fluid which some other 

 worms are able to produce is sometimes pure white 

 (A. mucosa) ; and the whole subject of worm fluids is 

 worthy particular attention, as it would seem that 

 the power to exude such a protective material is an- 

 alogous to the ability to make a more enduring pro- 

 tection in the shape of shells and cases on the part of 

 other annelids. 



The wornVhunter will turn over every likely stone 

 or rubbish heap which comes in his path, and in so 

 doing will be sure to meet with some interesting 

 prizes. By the sides of streams there are numerous 

 semi-aquatic worms of a more stunted form than that 

 which the earth-worm usually assumes. One of these 



some new form will present itself. I have in such 

 places procured specimens of a very curious worm of 

 a stiff habit, defiant disposition, and with a quite un- 

 English air (Fig. 91). The special peculiarity of this 

 genus (Megascolex), so far as external characteristics are 

 concerned, is the arrangement of the setae or bristles, 

 which form a perfect ring or whorl around each seg- 

 ment of the body (Fig. 92 a). And here, in conclusion, 

 it may be as well to note that the arrangement of setce 

 is a feature which readily lends itself to the discrimi- 

 nation of genera, and as it usually accompanies other 

 generic characteristics, it is frequently referred to by 

 systematists as one of the external notabilia. If the 

 earth-worm, for example, be examined it will be found 

 that there are eight bristles on each segment, which 

 are arranged in pairs on the ventral half of the body^ 

 In Allurus the spines are arranged in pairs on the 

 four angles of the square-shaped body, while they are- 



