Earth- Worms in History. 5 3 



on different occasions, and especially the fact that a worm 

 when in any way occupied, no matter what set of muscles 

 and ganglia may be brought into play, is often regardless of 

 light, are antagonistic to the view of the sudden withdrawal 

 being a simple reflex action. With the higher animals, when 

 close attention to some object leads to the disregard of the 

 impressions which other objects must be producing upon 

 them, we ascribe this to their attention being then absorbed, 

 and attention necessarily implies the presence of mind. 

 Although worms cannot be said to possess the power of 

 vision, yet their sensitiveness to light enables them to dis- 

 criminate between day and night, and thus they escape the 

 attacks of the many diurnal animals that would prey upon 

 them. They are less sensitive to a moderate radiant heat 

 than to a bright light, as repeated experiments have con- 

 clusively shown ; and their disinclination to leave their 

 burrows during a frost proves that they are sensitive to a 

 low temperature. 



Investigation fails to locate in worms any organ of hear- 

 ing, from which must be concluded that they are insensible 

 to sounds. The shrill notes of a metallic whistle sounded 

 near them, and the deepest and loudest tones of a bassoon, 

 failed to awaken the least notice. Although indifferent to 

 modulations in the air, audible to human ears, yet they are 

 extremely sensitive to vibrations in any solid object. Even 

 the light and delicate tread of a robin affrights and sends 

 them deep into their burrows. It has been said that if the 

 ground is beaten, or otherwise made to tremble, that worms 

 believe they are pursued by a mole and leave their burrows, 

 but this does not stand the test of experiment, for the writer 

 has frequently beaten the ground in many places where these 

 creatures abounded, but not one emerged. A worm's entire 

 body is sensitive to contact, the slightest puff of air from the 

 mouth causing an instant retreat. When a worm first comes 

 out of its burrow it generally moves the much-extended 

 anterior extremity of its body from side to side in all 



