178 THE EARTHWORM. 



Sometimes a more wonderful thing happens. I once saw 

 a worm injured by a spade ; its body was torn at the side, 

 but not cut in two. At the broken part a new tail grew, 

 so that it had three ends. It lived a long time, though it 

 could not move very feely. It dragged its tails behind it. 



What do the worms do below the ground ? We have 

 seen that they can make burrows for themselves by push- 

 ing the earth aside. Wherever they go, air and rain 



Fig. 71. Earthworms at the surface of the ground in the night. 



follow. The air and the rain change the soil in such a way 

 that plants can feed more richly upon it. This is why the 

 farmer turns over or ploughs the soil. Where there are 

 many worms, therefore, the soil is made better for plant- 

 life. 



While they are burrowing they swallow large quantities 

 of earth. Their bodies are long slender tubes surrounding 



