180 Transactiotu. — Zoology. 



respect as in England.* In the springtime, when lands are 

 ploughed, millions of sea birds, coming inland to breed, 

 follow the plough, and subsist for weeks and months on i 

 worms. Several species of birds come a long distance from 1 

 their nesting-place to follow the plough, and obtain food for 

 their young. When mild weather, with sunshine, succeeds i 

 heavy rain, worms often lie in loose mould near the surface. 

 The weka is then very busy, and digs them out with its 

 powerful bill, and consumes great quantities. I have dug 

 up a number of worms, from time to time, minus their 

 tails. I think that during the process of ejecting their 

 castings they are sometimes attacked by birds, which with 

 a quick snap of their beaks tear away a portion of the I 

 worm's body. If the tail of a worm be seized with the 

 fingers, when protruding from its burrow, it has great power, 

 and it would be almost impossible to extract it without injury. 

 If only a few segments of the tail are removed, the worms 

 apparently suffer little or no inconvenience, and, if placed in 

 pots, continue active and throw up castings. 



The burrows of New Zealand earth-worms form a curious ^ 

 and striking contrast to the British species, described by 

 Mr. Darwin in his valuable work on "Vegetable Mould." He 

 says, " they run down perpendicularly, or, more commonly, a 

 little obliquely." He doubted if they branched in solid ground, \ 

 and adds : " As far as I have seen this does not occur, except in i 

 recently-dug ground, and near the surface." Mr. Urquhart, in | 

 his paper already mentioned, states that he " met with instances I 

 in which the burrows branched in solid ground, but the branching 

 merely consisted of two short lateral passages at the termi- 

 nation of the burrow, leading into two distinctly separate ' 

 chambers," and adds, further, "it is not unusual for two 

 separate burrows to terminate in the same chamber." Mr. 

 Urquhart, however, does not name the species inhabiting these 

 forms of burrows. 



I have already stated that our worms construct semi- 

 cii'cular and distinctly-branching burrows. I will select those 

 of A. uHginosus, as it is a common species, and its burrows | 

 large. They can be more easily examined than those worked 1 

 by the smaller forms. In order to examine them perfectly, | 

 I have been in the habit of stripping off the turf or covering of i 



• Probably the best introduced bird is the English starling (Stnrnus 

 vulgaris), which is increasing at an uuprecedeuted rate. In settled dis- 

 tricts it can be seen in troops of many thousands, busily picking over 

 the ground infested by the larvs of Odontria striata. Besides consuming 

 great numbers of worms, it bids well at present to exterminate the native 

 Lociistina, as they have almost disappeared from districts where the 

 birds are numerous. It would, therefore, be well for collectors to secure | 

 abundance of specimens in all districts where the starUng is likely to 

 increase. 



