EARTH-WORM. Lumtmcvs tcrrestris. 



Except that the worm makes use of bristles, and the snake of the edges of its scales, the 

 mode of progress is much the same in both cases. The whole body of the creature is very 

 elastic, and capable of being extended or contracted to a wonderful degree. When it 

 wishes to advance, it pushes forward its body, permits the bristles to hitch against the 

 ground, and then, by contracting the rings together, brings itself forward, and is ready for 

 another step. As in each full-grown Earth-worm there are at least one hundred and 

 twenty rings, and each ring contains eight bristles, it may be imagined that the hold 

 upon the ground is very strong. 



As every one knows, the Earth-worm lives a very solitary life below ground, driving its 

 little tunnels in all direction, and never seeing its friends, except at night, when it comes 

 cautiously to the surface and searches for company. In the evening, if the observer be 

 furnished with a " bull's-eye" lantern, and will examine the ground with a very gentle and 

 cautious step, he will be sure to find many worms stretching themselves out of their holes, 

 retaining for the most part their hold of the place of repose by a ring or two still left in 

 the hole, and elongating themselves to an almost incredible extent. If, while thus 

 employed, an Earth-worm be alarmed or touched, it springs back into its hole as if it 

 had been a string of india-rubber that had been stretched and was suddenly released. 



The worms have a curious habit of searching for various leaves and dragging them int 

 their holes, the point downwards, and are always careful to select those particular leave 

 which they best like. As a general rule, they dislike evergreens ; and the leaf which I have 

 found to be most in favour is that of the primrose. I have often watched the woi 

 engaged in this curious pursuit ; and in the dusk of the evening it has a very strange effec 

 to see a leaf moving over the ground as if by magic, the dull reddish brown of the won 

 being quite invisible in the imperfect light. 



The food of the Earth-worm is wholly of a vegetable nature, and consists of the root 

 of various plants, of leaves, and decaying vegetable substances. Many persons cherish 

 rooted fear of the Earth-worm, fancying that it lives in churchyards and feeds upon the 

 dead. These fears are but idle prejudice, for the worm cares no more for the coffined de 

 than does the tiger for the full manger, or the ox for the bleeding gazelle. The corps 



