274 Transactions, — Zoology. 
I omitted to test the length of time that earth-worms would live im- 
mersed in water during the summer, but Morren found that they endured 
immersion for 15 or 20 days; like our own, they soon died in winter. 
Although worms often frequent very wet places, it is probable—except 
perhaps in the summer months—that those we are concerned with, do not 
remain completely submerged for any length of time. Some examples of 
L. campestris, that were put into a jar of earth and water, in October, and 
kept in a room, died in 183-20 hours; this species appears least able to 
live for any length of time under water, they desert their burrows when 
flooded by temporary ponds during the winter months. 
Our worms act with the same judgment as the European species, when 
they drag any object into their burrows ; but the amount drawn in, both 
by worms in confinement and out in the open, appears to be less. The 
sense of taste is well developed, a preference being shown for special kinds 
of food; half-decayed onion and cherry leaves being especially relished. 
The secreted fluid has the usual effect of turning fresh, or half-fresh, leaves 
a dark brown colour; leaves placed on the surface in pots become in time 
almost entirely stript of the epidermis and parenchyma, the veins appear 
not to be eaten, as the skeleton remains entire. 
Up to the present time my own experiments have not satisfactorily 
proved that worms possess a sense of smell ; but it seems evident that they 
are not without it. The effect of light as a rule is not immediate, although 
in some instances a sudden illumination caused worms to retire rapidly into 
their burrows; if feeding, a light was either not regarded, or, if they retired, 
they sometimes soon returned to the surface and continued nibbling at the 
leaves, taking no further notice of it. 
. Worms evidently do not possess the sense of hearing and, beyond being 
affected by light, have no power of vision; the absence of these two senses 
is compensated for by extreme sensitiveness to currents of air and vibration 
in any solid matter; which, no doubt, as a rule is advantageous to them. 
If, especially, moist loose ground is trodden on sufficiently to cause a 
slight succussion, it often has the effect of driving out the worms; once on 
the surface they appear to seek the first opportunity of again retiring below. 
I would not have alluded to this habit had it not been generally entirely 
attributed to an instinctive effort of the worms to escape from their enemy 
the mole; and that some writers, even recently, have drawn erroneous con-. 
clusions from the supposed fact. As birds are the chief enemies of worms 
in this country, and when they are lying near, or on the surface, vibration 
has the reverse effect of driving them below, it is not improbable that their 
actions, in this case, are not caused by any definite purpose, but the result 
of extreme timidity. 
