04 HABITS OF THE BLIKDWOKM. 



they perhaps may have licked the moistened earth, and so have obtained some little 

 nourishment, though they were never seen to do so, and indeed appeared perfectly 

 indifferent to the milk. 



When I introduced the slugs, the odd little reptiles acted just as their mother was 

 doing, followed the slugs about with their heads, hovered over them, made believe to eat 

 them, and then were quietly walked over by their intended prey, which being nearly 

 twice as big as themselves, proceeded on its course without paying the least regard to 

 the tiny reptiles, whose bodies were not larger than ordinary knitting needles, and easily 

 glided over them, or put them to ignominious flight. 



After they had been in the jar for some time, I fitted up an old aquarium in a manner 

 intended to imitate as far as possible their natural home, building a bank of earth and 

 stones at either end, laying turf in the middle, and planting ferns upon the banks, with 

 . moss round their roots. They enjoyed the change very greatly, immediately proceeded to 

 burrow in all directions through the earth and among the stones, until they established a 

 whole series of tunnels through which they can glide at will, and seem to take great 

 pleasure in permeating their establishment at all hours, especially delighting in pushing 

 their way through the moss and then retreating into their burrows. 



On a cold day they bury themselves below the mould, but the first gleam of sun- 

 shine that plays among the green fern-leaves brings them from their recesses, and causes 

 them to glide about the moss and turf most merrily. Sometimes, when they are coil;;d 

 asleep within their home, their bodies are pressed against the glass, and it is curious to 

 see how immovable they will lie in spite of tapping the glass, but how soon they wake 

 up and brisk they become when the glass is warmed. Even a few warm breaths upon the 

 glass suffice to awake them. 



I think that I have discovered another kind of subsistence for the young, but that has 

 only been possible since they have been placed in the aquarium, or rather, the fernery, as 

 it is now. Sundry very minute insects of the dipterous order may be seen flitting about 

 within the glass, probably having been introduced with the turf and ferns, and it is possible 

 that the young Blind worms may contrive to catch and eat these creatures, and derive some 

 nutriment from them in spite of their diminutive size. 



When wild, the Blindworm generally retires to its winter quarters towards the end of 

 August, or even sooner, should the weather be chilly. The localities which it chooses 

 for this purpose are generally dry and warm spots, where the dried leaves and dead twigs 

 of decayed branches have congregated into heaps, so as to afford it a safe refuge. Some- 

 times it bores its way iuto masses of rotten wood; and on heathery soils, where the ground 

 slopes considerably, it selects a spot where it will be well sheltered from the winter's rains 

 and snows, and burrows deeply into the dry loose soil. 



It is singular to see the creature emerging from the ground when the least touch will 

 soil the fingers, and to see how totally free from earth-stains is the bright glittering skin 

 of the reptile, upon which not a particle of mud can cling. I once detected upon the head 

 of my specimen a projection which I thought was a little lump of mud, I having just 

 watered the ferns and turf, greatly to the discomfiture of the Blindworms, both old and 

 young ; but upon close examination I found it was only a little pebble which had lodged 

 upon the head, as the reptile came hastily out of its burrow to avoid the water. So quietly 

 did the Blindworm move, that the stone retained its place upon the head for several 

 minutes, and did not fall off until I startled the creature, and caused it to turn its head 

 rather sharply. 



The Blindworm would be a most useful inhabitant of a garden, not at all repulsive, 

 and, indeed, very seldom seen, its instinct teaching it to remain within some dark recess 

 during the day, and only to come out at night when the slugs leave their earthy hiding- 

 places, and commence feeding. Moreover, it is very prolific, and needs no special 

 appliances, as is the case with the frog and toad, which require the presence of water to 

 produce and hatch their young, and for the little reptiles to come to maturity. Sometimes 

 the number of young is twelve or thirteen, and sometimes there are only seven or eight. 

 The usual average is, however, nine or ten ; and they are very hardy little things, requiring 

 no care whatever. 



