356 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 
something new to note: it looked as if the worms 
inhabiting the quartered-off ground had suddenly 
developed a wonderful vigour and activity, or as 
if a rush of worms from all over the lawn to that 
favoured spot had taken place. The ground was 
thickly sprinkled over with castings, mostly under 
the herbage, although after a careful search I could 
not find a single casting anywhere else on the lawn. 
It was evident that the worms had been taking the 
leaves into their runs and feeding greedily on them, 
and I confidently expected that the result would 
be that in a little while the turf on the marked 
strip of ground would be thicker, greener, more 
elastic to the tread. Unfortunately I was obliged 
to leave the place when the experiment was just 
at its beginning, so that nothing was proved; and 
I hope that some reader of this paper, who possesses 
a lawn, or is about to form one, will carry the 
matter further and try to find out whether or not 
a better result may be had by encouraging the 
earthworms to work with and for us instead of 
regarding them as enemies and trying to suppress 
them. 
