114 Transactions. — Zoology. 



and to the extensive system of planting English trees in 

 nearly all parts of the country, which has proceeded for many 

 years. 



The habits of British earthworms are so well known to 

 naturalists that, as they cannot differ materially in New Zea- 

 land, little need be said about them. I may, however, mention 

 a few items which are of interest. The prodigious destruction 

 of earthworms during heavy rains and floods must check 

 their increase considerably. Nevertheless they exist in some 

 gardens in immense numbers. During the heavy rains in 

 August last I observed several lawns and pieces of garden 

 absolutely covered with a dense layer of castings. At the 

 same time the destruction of worms was phenomenal. After 

 a heavy night's rain, a slight frost occurred for several morn- 

 ings at daybreak, and destroyed the worms crawling about 

 the streets and footpaths in myriads. The street channels also 

 convey vast numbers to the rivers, by which they are borne 

 to the sea and thus perish. 



The breeding habits of worms are not well known to 

 naturalists : yet such is an important line of research. The 

 cocoons are easily found in the habitats of worms, and are de- 

 posited in moist chambers excavated a little distance from the 

 w 7 alls of their burrows, but never in the burrows they inhabit. 

 They may be found throughout the year, but they are more 

 numerous during winter and spring. Although I have care- 

 fully examined hundreds of adult worms annually for several 

 years, I have never observed one in the act of fabricating a 

 cocoon : I have, however, found the latter in all stages of 

 development, ranging from the newly-deposited to mature 

 cocoons with the young worms in the act of escaping from 

 them. The cocoons of Acantliodrilus multi^yorus when newly 

 deposited are dull-white in colour, and are very smooth and 

 flaccid. They are filled with a white albuminous fluid which 

 nourishes the embryo. The cocoons vary considerably in 

 colour, according to their age and the stage of development of 

 the embryos within them. From white they pass through 

 several shades of yellow and brown to dark-red, which latter 

 colour indicates maturation of the embryos. "When the young 

 worms emerge from the cocoons they are semi-transparent 

 and delicate. The circulatory system is clearly visible for a 

 few days, or until the integument thickens and assumes the 

 uniform pale-pink colour of the young of this species. We 

 have kept many cocoons of several species of indigenous 

 worms, and observed the young emerging. The cocoon is 

 composed of several layers of an extremely tough semi-trans- 

 parent material, and as the embryo matures and presses upon 

 the inner walls of the cocoon each layer generally yields in 

 succession until the last opens, when the young worm slowly 



