Chap. ]I. construction OF THEIR BURROWS. 113 



viscid castings voided by the worms, Tlie 

 structures thus formed cohered so well, that I 

 succeeded in removing one with only a little 

 earth adhering to it. It consisted of a slightly 

 curved cylindrical case, the interior of which 

 could be seen through holes in the sides and 

 at either end. The pine-leaves had all been 

 drawn in by their bases; and the sharp points 

 of the needles had been pressed into the 

 linins: of voided earth. Had this not been 

 effectually done, the sharp points would have 

 prevented the retreat of the worms into their 

 burrows; and these structures would have 

 resembled traps armed with converging 

 points of wire, rendering the ingress of an 

 auimal easy and its egress difficult or im- 

 possible. The skill shown by these worms 

 is noteworthy and is the more remarkable, as 

 the Scotch pine is not a native of this district 

 After having examined these burrows 

 made by worms in confinement, I looked at 

 those in a flower-bed near some Scotch pines. 

 These had all been plugged up in the ordinary 

 manner with the leaves of this tree, drawn in 

 for a length of from 1 to 1| inch ; but the 

 months of many of them were likewise lined 



