78 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. II. 



It might perhaps be inferred from the facts 

 as yet given, that worms somehow gain a 

 general notion of the shape or structure of 

 pine-leaves, and perceive that it is necessary 

 for them to seize the base where the two 

 needles are conjoined. But the following 

 cases make this more than doubtful. The 

 tips of a large number of needles of P. austriaca 

 were cemented together with shell-lac dis- 

 solved in alcohol, and were kept for some 

 days, until, as I believe, all odour or taste had 

 been lost; and they were then scattered on 

 the ground where no pine-trees grew, near 

 burrows from which the plugging had been 

 removed. Such leaves could have been drawn 

 into the burrows with equal ease by either 

 end ; and judging from analogy and more 

 especially from the case presently to be given 

 of the petioles of Clematis montana, I expected 

 that the apex would have been preferred. 

 But the result was that out of 121 leaves with 

 the tips cemented, which were drawn into bur- 

 rows, 108 were drawn in by their bases, and 

 only 13 by their tips. Thinking that the 

 worms might possibly perceive and dislike the 

 smell or taste of the shell-lac, though this 

 was very improbable, especially after the 



