WORM CATCHERS AT WORK. 11 



says it is a very interesting sight to see the lights of the 

 niimeroiTS wormers when they are out with their lanterns 

 collecting of a dark night. Unless it was known what 

 these people were doing, it would be impossible to guess 

 the cause of this Will-o'-the-Wisp catcher phenomenon. 

 Men, women, and childi-en are employed in "worming." 



The worms are sold by the thousand or the quart. 

 In a warm, moist night, from two to six thousand 

 worms are brought in by the collectors. Some people 

 can collect worms much better than others. The 

 worms are very cunning, and are apt to pop back into 

 their holes if the person treads heavily. 



" You, sir," said Mr. Wells to a gentleman who 

 formed one of our party, ^'^ you would make a capital 

 worm-catcher." You should have seen my friend's face! 

 (He is a very tall man, and did not quite see why he, 

 of all the company, would make a good worm-catcher.) 

 "Why would this gentleman make a good worm- 

 catcher?"! asked, immediately. Saj^s Wells, "You 

 see, sir, the gentleman is so long on his pins, and has a 

 great reach with his arm, so that he could stand still in 

 one place and catch the worms all round him without 

 moving about much. A short gentleman, like you, sir 

 (pointing to me), would never make a worm- catcher ; 

 you haven't got reach enough in the arm, and you're 

 too short in the leg. The worms are terrible artful 

 things. This gentleman I'd back to catch worms 

 against you any night, and I give j^ou a thousand 

 worms in to start with." 



When the worms are brought in, Mr. Wells at once 

 begins his training operations by placing them in 

 properly-selected moss. Stag's horn moss will not do 

 at all, it is too harsh. Grass is bad. Field moss is the 

 best. The worms are put into the moss to scour. A 



