382 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
The red-worm is about the same size as the brand- 
ling, which it resembles in all respects but color, that 
being in the red-worm exactly what its name implies. It 
is found in the banks of ditches and sewers. The gilt-tail 
is a variety of this worm, but larger, and of a paler color 
towards the tail. 
All these worms should be scoured,—a process which 
consists in starving them, by placing them in damp moss, 
neither too wet nor too dry. The worms here are not 
only deprived of their usual food, but in their efforts to 
escape they mechanically compress their bodies between 
the fibres of the moss, and in that way completely empty 
themselves of their faecal contents. Before putting them 
in the moss, Mr. Stoddart recommends that worms should 
be placed in water for a few minutes, after which they should 
be suffered to crawl over a dry board, in order still further 
to cleanse their skins. They may then be transferred to 
the moss, as described above. The worms should be 
examined from day to day, and those which are unhealthy 
or injured should be removed. When the worms are quite 
sufficiently scoured, they should be stored for use. Three 
or four days is the average time required for scouring. 
Worms are preserved in the following manner :— 
Procure some fresh mutton suet, cut it fine, and boil it in 
a quart of water till dissolved; then dip in this two or 
three pieces of coarse new wrapper large enough to supply 
each variety of worm, which should not be mixed together. 
When these are cold, put them into separate earthen jars, 
with some damp earth and the worms’ which are to be 
kept, and tie over all a piece of open and coarse muslin. 
