122 Transactions. — Zoology. 



No. 2, 4 inches in thickness : cast, long, 6j-% inches ; 

 wide, 6 inches ; slopes from surface to a depth of lj-% 

 inches. 



No. 3, average thickness 4 inches, bottom irregular : 

 cast, long, 8 inches ; greatest width, 5^^ inches ; 

 average depth, 1^^ inches. 



These stones were surrounded with the usual margin of fine 

 vegetable mould, were rather firmly embedded, and had not 

 been raised since they were first laid down ; beneath were 

 numerous worm-burrows. 



The researches which I have carried out during the last three 

 winters, with the rather vague hope of afi'ording some evidence 

 that earth-worms possessed, to a limited extent, a sense of 

 direction (for it may be assumed that there is such a sense), 

 have, owing chiefly to the unnatural conditions to which they 

 had to be submitted, not been by any means conclusive. 



Although it was very improbable that, when w^orms left 

 their burrows and wandered about for considerable distances 

 after more or less heavy rain, they ever returned to them, as it 

 was possible that on ordinary nights, when they sometimes only 

 wander for a short distance from their burrows in search of 

 food, that they might intentionally return to them, I thought it 

 worth while to endeavour to determine if such was the case, as 

 earth-worms certainly appear not to be devoid of a low form of 

 intelligence. In the centre of boxes, 2 feet square, a small 

 hole was pierced, a shallow vessel was placed beneath the orifice, 

 filled with moist siliceous sand, with the hope that it would be 

 the means of compelling the worms to come to the surface in 

 search of food. Four or five of our large Lunibriciis idiginosus 

 were placed within each box — the boards having been well 

 damped. As is almost invariably the case when worms are 

 placed in confinement, in the first instance they travelled round 

 the margins (when placed in pots containing well-pressed earth 

 they finally force their way down the sides, rarely towards the 

 centre) ; after attempting for 15-20 minutes to burrow into the 

 boards, or scale the walls, one or two of the more vigorous, 

 possibly more intelligent, struck out across the centre ; after a few 

 traverses they finally, as a rule in about 30 minutes, dis- 

 covered and entered the artificial burrow. About as often as not, 

 all the worms had found out the entrance before the morning ; 

 but in some instances, part or all, alter crawliug for a time 

 round the sides of the box, finally huddled up into a corner, and 

 would have died there, had they not been removed. Although 

 tempting baits consisting of their favourite food, onion bulb, 

 etc., were ])laced close to the mouth of the burrow, the worms 

 rarely came to the surface ; when they did, and left the burrow 

 to wander about, apparently in moBt inetancee they never 



