74 HABITS OF WORMS. CHAP. II. 



burrows were again well protected. These 

 leaves could not be dragged into the burrows 

 to any depth, except by their bases, as a 

 worm cannot seize hold of the two needles at 

 the same time, and if one alone were seized 

 by the apex, the other would be pressed 

 against the ground and would resist the 

 entry of the seized one. This was manifest 

 in the above mentioned two or three excep- 

 tional cases. In order, therefore, that worms 

 should do their work well, they must drag 

 pine-leaves into their burrows by their bases, 

 where the two needles are conjoined. But 

 how they are guided in this work is a per- 

 plexing question. 



This difficulty led my son Francis and my- 

 self to observe worms in confinement during 

 several nights by the aid of a dim light, while 

 they dragged the leaves of the above named 

 pines into their burrows. They moved the 

 anterior extremities of their bodies about the 

 leaves, and on several occasions when they 

 touched the sharp end of a needle they with- 

 drew suddenly as if pricked. But I doubt 

 whether they were hurt, for they are indif- 

 ferent to very sharp objects, and will swallow 

 even rose-thorns and small splinters of glass. 



