io WORMS, 



Now that the scholars arc familiar with the essential 

 structural characters of the earthworm, they will he 

 interested to hear of its habits, and of the work it 

 performs. 



The coiled castings which lie upon worm-holes are 

 familiar to everyone. These are due to the fact, that 

 the earthworm, in digging a new hole or deepening an 

 old one, swallows the earth, and passes it through its 

 intestine. This is also one of its methods of obtaining 

 food, since more or less organic matter is contained in 

 all the soils which are frequented by them. 



For several years Von Hensen watched these hum- 

 ble animals, and the account he has given us is ex- 

 ceedingly interesting.* According to this observer the 

 worms in the night, and when the weather is damp, 

 come to the surface, and draw leaves, twigs, or the 

 seedlings of plants into their holes. These holes run 

 almost vertically downward from the surface to the 

 depth of three, four, and even six feet. Upon close 

 examination, Hensen found that the worms usually 

 roll the leaves together singly, and draw them into 

 the opening of their holes with the petioles pointing 

 towards the surface. The buried parts of these, thus 

 drawn into the holes to the depth of one or two inches, 

 soon become softened, and in a partly decomposed 

 condition are eaten. In this way the earthworm obtains 

 sufficient food without the assistance of teeth, or hard 

 jaws ; solely by the aid of the suctorial power of its 

 proboscis. The deepest part of the hole is thickly 

 set with stones of the size of a pin's head, which are 



* See " Zcitschrift fur YYissenschaftliche Zoologie." Vol. 

 XXVIII. 



