60 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. II. 



moist viscid earth ejected from their bodies , 

 and thus the mouths of the burrows are 

 securely plugged. Hundreds of such plugged 

 burrows may be seen in many places, 

 especially during the autumnal and early 

 winter months. But, as will hereafter be 

 shown, leaves are dragged into the burrows 

 not only for plugging them up and for food, 

 but for the sake of lining the upper part or 

 mouth. 



When worms cannot obtain leaves, petioles, 

 sticks, &c, with which to plug up the mouths 

 of their burrows, they often protect them by 

 little heaps of stones; and such heaps of 

 smooth rounded pebbles may frequently be 

 seen on gravel- walks. Here there can be no 

 question about food. A lady, who was in- 

 terested in the habits of worms, removed the 

 little heaps of stones from the mouths of 

 several burrows and cleared the surface of the 

 ground for some inches all round. She went 

 out on the following night with a lantern, 

 and saw the worms with their tails fixed in 

 their burrows, dragging the stones inwards 

 by the aid of their mouths, no doubt by 

 suction. " After two nights some of the 



