CHAPTER XVII 

 ALLIES OF THE EARTHWORM: VERMES 



Sinuous, glittering worm of the sea, 

 Wondrous in sheen of ruby and green. 



The Sandworm. One of the commonest of the animals liv- 

 ing in the mud and sand at tide-level in protected bays and 

 inlets of all the oceans is the sandworm, known more defi- 

 nitely by its scientific name Ne'reis vi'rens (Fig. 107). It lives 



FIG. 107. Livin Sandworm. Reduced 



in burrows lined with a thick mucus, which unites the grains 

 of sand into a tough, black tube. The depth of these burrows 

 depends on the length of the animal, which is sometimes as 

 great as two feet. Like the earthworm, they often rest with 

 the head near the opening during the day; sometimes at night 



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