﻿Sept. 1895.] Webster. Earthworms as Tree-planters. 139 



a little over a week on "hard-tack," they were transferred to fresh 

 leaves of Rhododendron, which was then beginning to bud. This food 

 they ate with great relish, and the change was very striking. They be- 

 gan to grow rapidly and became very active. After passing two more 

 moults they finally spun their cocoons, from which emerged, about one 

 week later a perfect male moth. The other pupa did not hatch. It 

 was at one time supposed that H. lilith was a valid species. I have 

 carefully compared the larva with that of the type form, H. io, but 

 could not detect the slightest difference, either in shape, coloration or 

 markings. Mrs. Slosson, however, informs me that the young larva of 

 /////// is much paler in color than that of io. 



THE EARTHWORM AS A TREE-PLANTER. 



By F. M. Webster. 



The habit of drawing the leaves and stems of various plants into 

 their burrows has been frequently noticed of these worms, and Darwni, 

 in his classic work, has cited many instances of this character. I have 

 more than once surprised them tugging at a leaf of grass that was at- 

 tached to the stem, the latter sometimes being bent to the ground by 

 their exertions. This spring a small patch of sward had been spaded 

 up with a view of planting flowers thereon, but the ground lay for 

 sometime untouched, and was observed to be quite thickly populated 

 by earthworms, and the openings of their vertical homes were very 

 numerous after a rain had fallen and formed a slight crust over the sur- 

 face of the ground. About this time a maple tree close by began drop- 

 ping its seeds and quite a number fell on the still undisturbed flower 

 bed. In a short time many of these seeds assumed a vertical position, 

 while in other places a number would be grouped together, obliquely, 

 forming a sort of rosette. A little patience and careful watching 

 showed that the maple seeds had been drawn into the homes of these 

 creatures, and, as many of the seeds afterwards germinated and grew, 

 if left undisturbed, they might have made a small forest, the planters 

 thereof having worked without hands, and with little knowledge of their 

 influence upon the vegetable that they had only attempted to secure as 

 a morsel of food. 



