Smith. — Notes on New Zealand Earth-worms. 133 



In regard to the number of worms living in gardens, culti- 

 vated fields, and undisturbed Native land, I have made many 

 tests. Worms like naturally rich and even strongly-manured 

 laud, but occur plentifully in some districts in poor soils. In 

 an old kitchen-garden on the Eangitata they averaged 7 per 

 square foot ; in a similar one at Albury they averaged 8 per 

 square foot ; and in another in North Otago, cultivated seven- 

 teen years, the average was 7 per square foot. Worms are more 

 numerous in old pastures than in gardens ; in some paddocks in 

 the Waiareka Valley they vary from 5 to 16 ; at Ashburton, on 

 the Plains, paddocks broken up ten years had an average of 

 8 to each square foot, but they are often found twice more 

 numerous in some parts of the same paddock than in others. 

 In the winter of 1884 we were plautmg some pines on a piece 

 of Native land, where A. uJiginosus was plentiful; at six different 

 places on the slope we dug out a square yard, and counted 

 the worms, which numbered in each as follows: 11, 8, 7, 

 13, 9, 6 ; but in some places, lower in the valley, they are more 

 numerous. 



The habit of worms rising to the surface and leaving their 

 burrows, caused by beating the soil or other disturbance, is 

 peculiar to two species, Endiihts campestris and E. annulatus. 

 As far as I know, this only occurs on loose ground, particularly 

 in gardens or swampy land that trembles when treading on it. 

 Occasionally, though rarely, they do so ui pasture, when the 

 land is soaked after heavy rains ; but no manner of beating, or 

 treading, will drive them to the surface in fine weather, either 

 in pastures or on lawns, when they are a few years old, and the 

 ground solid and favourable for their actions. The reverse is 

 the case in loose garden mould : almost any piece not dug for 

 several months, if trod on, or beaten with a spade, will bring 

 some to the surface. This instinct is a subject for speculation; 

 and after experimenting with a view to ascertain the cause, I 

 have no doubt that the sudden breaking or crushing of the 

 burrows causes the worms to extricate themselves and rise to 

 the surface. Both are very sensitive and timid species, and the 

 sense of fear highly developed in both. This considered, I think 

 that any sudden shaking of the mould, or collapse of the bur- 

 rows, would cause the animals instantly to free themselves, by 

 risiiig to the surface ; but possibly the habit may be acquii-ed 

 from living in loose mould. 



I have never lived long enough in one locality to experiment 

 with the sinking of laige stones or other bodies, through the 

 actions of worms ; but Mr. Urquhart, from experiments made 

 in the Mauukau District, has shown that they sink sooner in 

 New Zealand than in England; the gravel on garden walks also 

 sinks much earlier in this country, but the greater number of 

 worms will ac'couut for this. There is no doubt that the 



