128 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. II. 



of their having been found at 4 feet. Within 

 the forests, fresh castings may be found even 

 during the hot season. The worms in the 

 Botanic garden, during the cool and dry 

 season, draw many leaves and little sticks 

 into the mouths of their burrows, like our 

 English worms ; but they rarely act in this 

 manner during the rainy season. 



Mr. Scott saw worm-castings on the lofty 

 mountains of Sikkim in North India. In 

 South India Dr. King found in one 

 place, on the plateau of the Nilgiris, at an 

 elevation of 7000 feet, " a good many 

 castings," which are interesting for their 

 great size. The worms which eject them are 

 seen only during the wet season, and are 

 reported to be from 12 to 15 inches in length, 

 and as thick as a man's little finger. These 

 castings were collected by Dr. King after 

 a period of 110 days without any rain; and 

 they must have been ejected either during 

 the north-east or more probably during 

 the previous south-west monsoon ; for their 

 surfaces had suffered some disintegration and 

 they were penetrated by many fine roots. A 

 drawing is here given (Fig. 4) of one which 



