64 



PETER SCHMIDT 



TABLE 5 



After preservation in test-tubes for twenty-four hours, worms 

 nos. 1 and 3 were placed 5 VIII llh on moistened filter-paper. 

 Both had died and did not revive. On the four other worms I 

 detected in the morning 6 VIII many white spots — colonies of 

 bacteria. The earthworms placed on filter-paper had all died 

 undoubtedly by infection with bacteria. 



This series shows that it is impossible to preserve for a long time 

 the exsiccated earthworms at normal temperature, as it is certainly 

 impossible to sterilize them — their gut and body being full of 

 microorganisms . 



EXPERIMENTS, SERIES IV 



The purpose of the fourth series was to establish more precisely 

 the limit to which the earthworm can be exsiccated without loss 

 of vitality. The experiments were arranged in the same manner 

 as in series I and II. The worms were dried in glass dishes cov- 

 ered with muslin. 



The results are given in table 6. 



TABLE 6 



