86 HABITS OF WORMS. CHAP. IL 



more resistance to being drawn in. If seized 

 near the middle the triangle was doubled up, 

 with the apex and base left sticking out of the 

 tube. As the sides of the triangles were 

 three inches in length, the result of their 

 being drawn into a tube or into a burrow in 

 different ways, may be conveniently divided 

 into three groups : those drawn in by the 

 apex or within an inch of it ; those drawn in 

 by the base or within an inch of it ; and those 

 drawn in by any point in the middle inch. 



In order to see how the triangles would be 

 seized by worms, some in a damp state were 

 given to worms kept in confinement. They 

 were seized in three different manners in the 

 case of both the narrow and broad triangles : 

 viz., by the margin ; by one of the three 

 angles, which was often completely engulfed 

 in their mouths ; and lastly, by suction applied 

 to any part of the flat surface. If lines 

 parallel to the base and an inch apart, are 

 drawn across a triangle with the sides three 

 inches in length, it will be divided into three 

 parts of equal length. Now if worms seized 

 indifferently by chance any part, they 

 would assuredly seize on the basal part or 



