116 HABITS OF WORMS. Chap. II. 



with them, mingled with fragments of other 

 kinds of leaves, drawn in to a depth of 4 or 5 

 inches. Worms often remain, as formerly 

 stated, for a long time close to the mouths 

 of their burrows, apparently for warmth ; 

 and the basket-like structures formed of 

 leaves would keep their bodies from corning 

 into close contact with the cold damp earth. 

 That they habitually rested on the pine-leaves, 

 was rendered probable by their clean and 

 almost polished surfaces. 



The burrows which run far down into the 

 ground, generally, or at least often, terminate 

 in a little enlargement or chamber. Here, ac- 

 cording to Hoffmeister, one or several worms 

 pass the winter rolled up into a ball. Mr. 

 Lindsay Carnagie informed me (1838) that 

 he had examined many burrows over a stone- 

 quarry in Scotland, where the overlying 

 boulder-clay and mould had recently been 

 cleared away, and a little vertical cliff thus 

 left. In several cases the same burrow was a 

 little enlarged at two or three points one 

 beneath the other ; and all the burrows ter- 

 minated in a rather large chamber, at a depth 

 of 7 or 8 feet from the surface. These cham- 



