120 KNIGHT, NOTE ON THE EARTH WORM. 



VII. Note on the Earth Worm. 

 By R. T. Knight. 



I find that the Earth Worms leave their holes just before dark. 

 When mated they appear double the thickness and about ten inches 

 long. I have seen several of that length, and they are generally con- 

 sidered as one worm. 



The mouth is at the anterior extremity, and is an opening large 

 enough to enable the worm to swallow grass clover, and to carry 

 pellets of earth fully as thick as its body. It turns the mouth 

 down so as to resemble that of the sucker fish, and it seems to use 

 the upper part of the mouth as the elephant does the prehensile tip 

 of his trunk. 



Recently I saw two large worms united at or near one end, both 

 tails were in the ground; the one on the ground had a concavity ex- 

 tending for several inches on the upper side. The upper worm being 

 connected at the other end, raised the forward part of the body (say 

 nearly two inches long) half an inch above this concave portion 

 and drew it back, then depressing itself till it laid in the groove and 

 pushed itself forward, thus rubbing over the sensitive portion of the 

 worm which was of a yellowish red color, and the groove was cov- 

 ered with a garish fluid. This motion I saw repeated about ten times 

 in succession. 



