Smith. — Xotes on Nerc Zealand Earth-worms. 123 



returned to it, but remained alongside the walls. In hopes of 

 affording them greater inducement to return, tufts of grass were 

 placed in the centre ; but the result was not satisfactory, as they 

 appeared never to leave them, probably owing to there being no 

 inducement for them to do so. Although the fact that some of 

 the earth-worms after coming to the surface and wandering 

 about returned to the burrow, by no means proves that the act 

 was intentional, the fact that the majority of them never did so, 

 hardly disproves the possibility of their possessing sufficient 

 intelligence to do so. Considering the unfavourable conditions 

 to which they were submitted, and that they must necessarily 

 have been weakened through want of food, it could hardly be 

 expected that they would under the circumstances have acted 

 with the same freedom and intelligence as when in their natural 

 haunts. 



Art. XII. — Notes on Neiv Zealand Earth-ivorms. By W. W. 

 Smith. Communicated by De. Hector. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, ith August, 1886.] 



The habits of New Zealand earth-worms receive the smallest 

 share of attention from naturahsts of any group of our native 

 fauna. This is to be expected, as the study of worms requires 

 much time and patience, and the attractions in a young country 

 among the higher groups is greater, especially one like New 

 Zealand where so many anomalous forms exist, that little time 

 is given to some of the lower orders. Some notes, therefore, 

 on earth-worms, made during eleven years of almost daily 

 experience with them in several localities in the South Island, 

 will contribute a little towards a knowledge of their habits. 



As the habits of some of our earth-worms differ consider- 

 ably from others, I propose to give notes on each species 

 separately, of all I am acquainted with, and the locality where 

 I have collected them. This will enable other workers who 

 may be studying earth-worms in various parts of the country to 

 compare their own observations. This appears to me a sound 

 method of working out perfectly the habits and distribution of 

 all species. 



Like other groups of animals, earth-worms vary in their 

 habits, size, and colour, according to the nature of the soil 

 or situation they inhabit ; but, so far as I have ascertained, 

 our worms differ, distinctly in some respects, from the British 

 species, so ably treated by Mr. Darwin, in the construction and 

 form of their burrows. I think I will be able to show that New 

 Zealand earth-worms, whether kept in pots m confinement or 



