416 OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS AND VERMES. 
creatures put out their lamps between eleven and twelve, and shine 
no more for the rest of the night. 
A 
S = 
BPEr> = 
q 
Male glow-worms attracted by the light of the candles come into 
the parlour.— WHITE, : 
EARTH-WORMS. 
Earth-worms make their casts most in mild weather about March 
and April; they do not lie torpid in winter, but come forth when 
there is no frost ; they travel about in rainy nights,as appears from 
their sinuous tracks on the soft muddy soil, perhaps in search of 
food. ' 
When earth-worms lie out a-nights on the turf, though they 
extend their bodies a great way, they do not leave their holes, but 
keep the ends of their tails fixed therein, so that on the least alarm 
they can retire with precipitation under the earth. Whatever food 
falls within their reach when thus extended, they seem to be content 
with, such as blades of grass, straws, fallen leaves, the ends of which 
they often draw into their holes ; even in copulation their hinder 
parts never quit their holes ; so that no two, except they lie within 
reach ofeach other’s bodies, can have any commerce of that kind ; 
but as every individual is an hermaphrodite, there is no difficulty 
in meeting with a mate, as would be the case were they of different 
sexes.— WHITE. 
SNAILS AND SLUGS. 
The shell-less snails called slugs are in motion all the winter in 
mild weather, and commit great depredations on garden plants, and 
much injure the green wheat, the loss of which is imputed to earth- 
