OF BAIT, AND THEIR PRESERVATION. 857 



heavy showers, by the aid of a candle and lantern, on grass 

 walks and sheep pastures, where the herbage is short ; and 

 he who seeks them must move cautiously, and without tread- 

 ing heavily on the ground, or they will quickly retreat into 

 the earth. For the most part they are only partially out of 

 the earth, so that they must be drawn gently from their 

 holes without nipping ; and those that are severed are of 

 course useless, and must be thrown away, as they would soon 

 become putrid and infect the others. When a sufficient 

 quantity is collected, let them be placed in an earthen pot, 

 with moss, as above directed, after they have been dipped in 

 cold water, to free them from the soil. Such as are not 

 injured will soon bury themselves in the moss ; but those that 

 are injured will remain on the surface, and must next morn- 

 ing be picked off, as useless, and thrown away. They must 

 be inspected every three or four days, the dead ones removed, 

 and fresh moss laid on them, or that wherein they have been 

 kept, well washed and picked, and the water squeezed out, at 

 least once a week : they must be so placed, summer and winter, 

 as to be safe from the extremity of the weather at both sea- 

 sons. In a week's time they will be fit for use ; and upon 

 the angler coming home from fishing, he will return from his 

 worm-bag into the pot those which he has not used. In 

 observing the above carefully, they may be kept a month in 

 summer, particularly by giving them now and then, drop by 

 drop upon the moss, a small quantity of new milk, and the yolk 

 of an egg well beat together, and warmed so as to thicken it. 

 But when a stock of lob- worms is meant to be retained for a 

 considerable length of time, a large vessel must be filled half 

 or three-quarters full, of good mould, in the middle of which 

 is to be placed some moss, or old coarse linen cloths, hop- 

 sack, or rags, wetted : in hot, dry weather, clean water must 

 be sprinkled upon the earth with a watering-pot, so as to 



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