12 EDUCATION OF WORMS. 



frosh-caught worm is vorv delicate and tender, and 

 easily breaks up when put on the hook. "When a worm 

 is properly educated he is as tough as a bit of india- 

 rubber, and behaves as a worm should when put on a 

 hook. The way to test a worm is to take him up and 

 pass the linger gently down the length of him. If 

 anything comes out of him he is not lit, and is put back 

 for further training. The meaning of tliis is, that the 

 wild worms contain, more or less, food undergoing 

 digestion. AVhen put into the moss this food disappears. 

 The moss in some way facilitates this operation, but I 

 cannot quite see how this is, unless the worms disgorge 

 all their former food, and practically become very little 

 else than skin. 



The keeping of worms depends ver^' much upon the 

 weather. They will not keep well above a week. Mr. 

 AVells has a supply of worms ready for his customers 

 all the year round. He e:oes over his moss verv fre- 

 quently. picking out the ** mauled and mashed "worms, 

 and onlj' sending to market the *' plump and healthy" 

 ones. 



He showed me the handsomest worm he had on 

 hand. It was a *' maiden dew- worm.'' The peculiarity 

 of this lovely maiden is that it had a very square tail, a 

 small head, a long body, and no joints in the midiUe. 

 This was the best-looking worm out of fourteen or 

 fifteen thousand that were in the cellar, undergoing a 

 course of education. 



The worms are packed up for market in moss ; the 

 bairs used are of lii^lit canvas. 



The demand for worms is very great, and he sends 

 qreat numbers to London. In Nottinirham alone there 

 are tiftv-two andini^ societies, and 1,700 members. The 

 interests of tliese anglers are ably looked after by Mr. 



