858 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



keep them moist, but not wet ; they may thus be preserved 

 as long as is requisite, and a week before angling what are 

 wanted may be drawn from the store and put into moss to 

 scour themselves. 



The lob- worms that, by crawling about the grass lands, 

 have lost their holes, when they meet a drop of cow or horse 

 dung, will creep under and there protrude, so long as it con- 

 tains moisture sufficient to protect them from the intense 

 heat. Their heads only remain about an inch out of the 

 ground. This situation changes their colour, particularly 

 about the head, to a dark purple, which appearance has 

 induced anglers to consider them a distinct species, to which 

 they have given the name of peacock-worm. In great 

 droughts, when these worms do not approach the surface, 

 they may be sometimes tempted to do so, by pouring plenty 

 of water on the ground where they used to be most seen. 



The Brandling-worm. — This worm is girdled from head 

 to tail in alternate red and yellow circles, is dark at the 

 head, becoming gradually paler towards the tail. Brand- 

 lings are found in old dunghills, which consist of the dung 

 of hogs and horses, and rotten earth ; also, in old thatch and 

 dung, and grass mown from garden walks after it bas lain 

 some time ; but those which are found in tanners' bark, 

 after being used and laid by until quite rotten, are the best, 

 and may generally be used without any scouring. When 

 brandlings are kept in moss, like the lob-worm, they should 

 be fed by dropping a little cream, about a spoonful a day, 

 upon the moss ; it will prevent their swelling at the knot 

 near their middle, which, when it takes place, generally 

 kills them. With some anglers it is a rule not to use these 

 worms, nor the gilt-tail, until they have been in moss two 

 days, nor after they have continued in it more than ten. 



The Red-worms are found in dunghills ; they ai'e small 



