216 Natural History of the Earth-Worm. 



is made into three parts, the middle and hinder ones die after 

 some weeks' struggle for existence, and some efforts at reparation. 

 The mouth and lips are perfectly reproduced, provided the cere- 

 bral ganglions have not been included in the section. 



[The natural uses of the vi^orm appear to be, to serve as nourish- 

 ment to moles, hedgehogs, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, birds, 

 fishes, and some kinds of insects. It is also said by naturalists that 

 worms are useful to plants by penetrating the soil, loosening it, 

 renderino- it permeable to air and water, and even adding to the 

 depth of the soil by bringing up its worm-casts to the surface. 

 This last opinion, however, we conceive to be entirely erroneous. 

 Soil is not loosened by boring through it, but rather rendered 

 firmer in the parts not bored through ; so far from being rendered 

 permeable by water in consequence of the bores of worms, it is 

 rendered less so, the worm-casts deposited on the orifices of the 

 bores always being water-tight ; so much so indeed, that, when 

 lawns where worms abound are to be watered with lime-water 

 in order to destroy these, the first step is to brush away the 

 casts with a long flexible rod, or remove them with a rake, to 

 let the water enter the bores ; it having been found from ex- 

 perience, that, when this operation is neglected, the lime-water 

 sinks into the soil without producing much effect. "With re- 

 spect to worms adding to the depth of the soil, an opinion first 

 propao-ated, we believe, by Mr. Charles Darwin, we consider it 

 to be entirely a delusion, as we have endeavoured to show in 

 Vol. XIV. p. 95. 



The injury done by worms in gardens is very considerable. 

 By their casts they disfigure walks and lawns, and, by cutting 

 through the roots, they injure more or less all plants what- 

 ever; and particularly those which are weak, to which worms 

 always attach themselves more than to healthy plants, also plants 

 in pots. JSeedlings of all kinds are much injured by them ; 

 because, when the point of the taproot is cut through, the seed- 

 lino- has no other resource, and unless it be vigorous enough to 

 throw out lateral roots it dies. 



To destroy worms is fortunately a very simple process ; for 

 such is the tenderness of their skin, that watering them with any 

 caustic or bitter liquid deprives them of life in a few minutes. 

 The cheapest caustic liquid is lime-water, which is made by 

 dissolvinfT half a pound of quicklime in 12 pints of water, and 

 lettinty it stand a few minutes to clear. Before pouring it on the 

 soil from a watering pot with a rose on, the worm-casts ought to 

 be removed, when the effects of the water will soon become ob- 

 vious, by the worms rising to the surface, writhing about there, 

 and in a few minutes dying. To hasten their death, some more 

 lime-water should be poured on them after they come to the 

 surface. The quantity of lime-water required will depend partly 



