30 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. L 



timid creatures would almost certainly exhibit 

 some signs of any new impression, we may 

 conclude that they did not perceive these 

 odours. 



The result was different when cabbage- 

 leaves and pieces of onion were employed, 

 both of which are devoured with much relish 

 by worms. Small square pieces of fresh and 

 half-decayed cabbage-leaves and of onion 

 bulbs were on nine occasions buried in my 

 pots, beneath about i of an inch of common 

 garden soil ; and they were always discovered 

 by the worms. One bit of cabbage was dis- 

 covered and removed in the course of two 

 hours ; three were removed by the next 

 morning, that is, after a single night ; two 

 others after two nights ; and the seventh bit 

 after three nights. Two pieces of onion were 

 discovered and removed after three nights. 

 Bits of fresh raw meat, of which worms are 

 very fond, were buried, and were not dis- 

 covered within forty-eight hours, during 

 which time they had not become putrid. The 

 earth above the various buried objects was 

 generally pressed down only slightly, so as 

 uot to prevent the emission of any odour. 



