68 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. II. 



in this manner and to try different methods 

 makes a near approach to intelligence. 



In the first place 227 withered leaves of 

 various kinds, mostly of English plants, were 

 pulled out of worm-burrows in several places. 

 Of these, 181 had been drawn into the 

 burrows by or near their tips, so that the 

 foot-stalk projected nearly upright from the 

 mouth of the burrow ; 20 had been drawn in 

 by their bases, and in this case the tips pro- 

 jected from the burrows ; and 26 had been 

 seized near the middle, so that these had 

 been drawn in transversely and were much 

 crumpled. Therefore 80 per cent, (always 

 using the nearest whole number) had been 

 drawn in by the tip, 9 per cent, by the base 

 or foot-stalk, and 11 percent, transversely or 

 by the middle. This alone is almost suffi- 

 cient to show that chance does not determine 

 the manner in which leaves are dragged into 

 the burrows. 



Of the above 227 leaves, 70 consisted of 

 the fallen leaves of the common lime-tree, 

 which is almost certainly not a native of 

 England. These leaves are much acumin- 

 ated towards the tip, and are very broad at 



