DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORMS. 137 



provided, and therefore it behoves him to know the 

 places where he may find them, and how to prepare 

 them. 



THE BLACK -HEADED WORM. This worm is 

 usually found in good garden soil, or among heaps 

 of decayed rubbish, and may be known by being 

 free from the knot which most worms have. As 

 its name signifies, it has a black head, and when 

 taken from the earth is of a darkish colour through- 

 out, which it loses when scoured, becoming of a 

 clear reddish tinge, and is a very inviting worm to 

 look at. As an angling bait it deserves the first 

 rank, being the most durable of all worms. The 

 only objections to it are the length of time it takes 

 to scour, and the difficulty of getting any number 

 of a proper size. 



THE BRANDLING is only to be found in an old 

 dunghill or similar place, and it may be known by 

 being ringed all round, with a knot a little above 

 the middle : it is also flatter in shape than most 

 worms. We hold this worm in great repute ; it 

 can be scoured in a day or two, and is then a 

 beautiful worm to appearance. It is also in general 

 of the very size the angler would wish. The prin- 

 cipal objection to brandlings is their extreme soft- 

 ness ; they are incapable of being toughened, and 

 when used upon a single hook, slip down upon the 

 bend, thus exposing the shank. This objection does 

 not apply to them when .used upon the four small 

 hooks, and we very often use them in this way. 



