Unoumarr.—On the Habits of Earth-Worms in New Zealand. 267 
of the burrows, especially the deeper ones, end in a chamber, which is often 
lined in a similar manner with dark- or light-coloured castings; probably 
the castings are spread with the aid of its tail. It is not none! for two 
separate burrows to terminate in the same chamber. 
In Europe earth-worms line their chambers with other materials besides 
the usual viscid black earth. In reference to this instinct, Mr. Darwin 
says :— The sole conjecture which I can form cl site ged pi winter 
quarters with little stones and seeds, is to prevent coiled-up bodies 
from coming in contact with the saline cold soil.” ^ A have not been 
able to obtain any information regarding the habits of earth-worms in the 
colder portions of New Zealand, but as our northern worms do not line 
their chambers with other materials besides their viscid castings, it is pro- 
bable his conjecture is correct; our worms are not subjected to the same 
severe and rapid changes of temperature as those in Europe, consequently 
do not need the extra protection. 
Darwin was the first to point out that the mouths of the burrows were 
in addition often lined with leaves. This habit does not obtain in our 
worms, and would not be necessary, for, although they may be often 
observed lying close to the mouth of their burrows—probably for warmth— 
the short sharp frost to which they are occasionally subjected does not in- 
fluence the temperature of the ground to any depth; and the warm sunny 
‘day, which almost invariably follows a frosty night, soon raises the tempe- 
rature of the soil sufficiently to allow of their return to the surface. 
It is not improbable that it is our equable climate that renders it un- 
_necessary for earth-worms to plug the mouths of their burrows to the same 
extent as in Europe. As far as my experience serves, they seem content 
with occasionally loosely drawing in petioles, portions of leaves, and blades 
of grass—some are evidently merely meant for food. Mr. Darwin believes 
that “ the use of the plugs is to check the free ingress of the lowest stra- 
tum of air, when chilled by radiation at night, from the surrounding ground 
and herbage.” Judging from the loose way his worms plugged the mouths 
of their burrows when kept in pots in a warm room, and the actions of our 
own worms in their natural haunts, there is little doubt that the exclusion 
of cold air is the chief cause of the burrows being plugged. At the season 
of the year when earth-worms in New Zealand are occasionally subjected 
to as air, the mouths of their burrows are generally protected by their ' 
c 
ings. 
= habit of closing the sh of the fee. by heaping-up little 
pellets of earth and stones, when no castings are being ejected, obtains in 
the New Zealand worms, and the object is probably to conceal the mouth 
from their enemies, the greatest of which are, in the vicinity of Auckland, 
