Chap. IV. OP ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 187 



ins: fields ; but on this day the eai'th was a 

 little raised over the mouths of the burrows, 

 or castings were ejected, at ten fresh points. 

 These were defaced. It should be understood 

 that when a fresh burrow is spoken of, this 

 generally means only that an old burrow has 

 been re-opened. Mr. Farrer was repeatedly 

 struck with the pertinacity with which the 

 worms re-opened their old burrows, even when 

 no earth was ejected from them. I have 

 often observed the same fact, and generally 

 the mouths of the burrows are protected by 

 an accumulation of pebbles, sticks or leaves. 

 Mr. Farrer likewise observed that the worms 

 living beneath the floor of the atrium often 

 collected coarse grains of sand, and such little 

 stones as they could find, round the mouths 

 of their burrows. 



Sept. 13 th ; soft wet weather. The mouths 

 of the burrows were re-opened, or castings 

 were ejected, at 31 points; these were all 

 defaced. 



Sept. 14th ; 34 fresh holes or castings 

 all defaced. 



Sept. 15th ; 44 fresh holes, only 5 castings ; 

 all defaced. 



