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 18^-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. 



