EARTHWORMS 



161 



obtained by digging in any garden soil, or they may be collected 

 in quantities on lawns or other plots of kept grass if search be 

 made after sunset with the aid of a 

 lantern, or in the very early morning. 

 Warm damp nights are the best for 

 such search. The worms will be found 

 extended on the surface of the ground, 

 their tail only in the burrow. To catch 

 them it is necessary to tread very 

 softly, so as to avoid shaking the 

 earth, to pounce suddenly upon them 

 with fingers and thumb, and then 

 maintain a steady but not violent pull 

 in order to extract the specimen with- 

 out injury. It is probable that many 

 examples will be found in the act of 

 pairing. Another very effective method 

 is to water soil in which worms are 

 known by their castings to be present 

 with dilute formalin (i per cent, of the 

 40 per cent, commercial solution is 

 ample). This often causes the worms 

 to rush up to the surface in numbers. 

 If they are at once washed in fresh 

 water they suffer no injury. 



To keep earthworms alive a fair 

 depth of good soil or leaf -mould should 

 be placed in an earthenware vessel, 

 such as a bread-pan (metal vessels 

 seem to be harmful to the health of 

 the worms), and be made moderately 

 moist but not sodden. Some dead 

 leaves may be strewn on the surface 

 to prevent too rapid evaporation. Such 

 soil contains sufficient food to maintain 

 a good many worms for some weeks, 

 and the leaves on the surface form a 

 further supply if needed. 



VOL. I. U 



