48 Practical Zoology. 



seem to hear? Fire a pistol or cracker ; does it notice the noise? 

 Stamp hard on the ground ; does this affect the worm ? 



10. In what month are earthworms most active? When least 

 active? Do earthworms hibernate? How early are they seen in 

 spring? How late in the fall? 



11. What enemies has the earthworm? Has it any means of 

 defense ? On what does it rely for protection ? 



12. Do you discover anything to prove that earthworms lay 

 eggs? If so, when and where does this take place? 



LABORATORY STUDY OF EARTHWORMS. 



Get a box a foot deep and a foot or two square. Fill it with 

 fine, rich, black soil and press it down firmly, leaving an inch or so 

 of space above the soil. Keep the soil fairly moist. Earthworms 

 may be kept alive through the winter in boxes, or flowerpots of 

 soil, covered with sod and watered occasionally. The soil should 

 be kept cool and moist, but not wet. Put some dead leaves just 

 under the sod, and occasionally place cabbage leaves or lettuce 

 leaves on the sod for them to feed on. The boxes or flowerpots 

 may be kept in a greenhouse or in a cellar. Cover the box with a 

 large plate of glass. It is well also to have glass windows at the 

 sides and bottom. 



1. Place two dozen live earthworms on the soil. Watch them 

 as they burrow into the soil. Do the worms soon become settled, 

 or are they restless ? How soon do they reappear at the surface ? 



2. Test the worms with various kinds of food, meat, both lean 

 and fat, bits of cabbage, celery, onion, turnip, apple, etc. Which 

 do they prefer? Do they show evidence of a sense of taste? Of 

 a sense of smell ? Do they eat on the surface or in their burrows? 

 Do they eat the material at once or keep it for a time? Do they 

 eat little or much ? Do they exercise choice in selecting bits of 

 food according to their size or shape ? When do they eat ? Is 

 the process slow or rapid ? How is the eating done ? 



3. Place an earthworm in a glass tube with good black soil, and 

 watch it from day to day. 



