The Irish Naturalist. [January, 



TUBE-FORMING LARVi^. 



BY DENIS R. PACK-BERKSFORD. 



In the interesting paper on tube-forming worms contributed 

 by Mr. Friend to the h^ish Naturalist for November last, he 

 remarks that old writers on natural history often confounded 

 the worms of which he is treating, with the larvae which abound 

 in similar situations, belonging to midges of the genus Chiro- 

 no77i2cs, and which being of a bright red colour are commonly 

 known as " blood-worms." That it is easy enough for un- 

 scientific people to mistake these larvae for worms is clear 

 from the fact that Mr. Friend was himself once taken in by 

 outward appearances, as he describes on page 102 of the last 

 volume. Although having no pretensions to being a scientific 

 naturalist, I have during the past summer been much inte- 

 rested in watching the habits of the larvse, to which reference 

 is made above, and with a view to helping other amateurs 

 like myself to recognise these larvae when they meet them, 

 and to prevent their confusing them with worms, I think an 

 account of my observations may possibly be of interest. The 

 first time I noticed these larvae was early last spring, when 

 searching for gnat-larvae, to show to a young friend. Whether 

 they have been more common than usual this summer or not 

 I cannot say, but certainly I have never noticed them in such 

 quantities before. The old water-barrel in which I first came 

 across them had a layer of mud at the bottom, and this had 

 quite a red colour which instantly disappeared on my ap- 

 proach. After watching a few moments I noticed first one 

 and then another little red worm-like creature coming partly 

 out of his burrow in the mud and waving vigorously from side 

 to side. I at once collected a cup-full of the mud and put it 

 into an old bottle, which was the only form of aquarium 

 handy. 



When the mud settled down there were none of my little 

 friends visible, they having all buried themselves. In the 

 course of a day or two, however, I was amply rewarded for 

 my trouble, by finding them all emerging from their holes 

 and waving vigorously to and fro. Some too had been so 



