Breeding Habits of the Earthworm 



EACH individual of the earthworm family is both male and fe- 

 male (hermaphrodite), having both eggs and spermatozoa, but 

 it is not self -fertilizing. An act of copulation is necessary in 

 order that eggs may become fertile. Situated back from the 

 head about one-third the length of the worm is the "clitellum," 

 a band of tissue surrounding the body. The Century Dic- 

 tionary gives a very good definition of the clitellum. We quote 

 in part: "... the saddle of an annelid, as the earthworm; a 

 peculiar glandular ring around the body, resulting from the swell- 

 ing and other modification of certain segments. It is a sexual 

 organ, producing a tough, viscid secretion by which two worms 

 are bound together in a kind of copulation." The clitellum is 

 easily identified, as it stands out above the surface of the body 

 as a distinct band, darker in color than the rest of the body. 



In a bulletin titled, The Earthworms of Ohio, issued by the 

 Ohio Biological Survey, Dr. Henry W. Olson gives a very con- 

 cise and clear description of the act of copulation and the repro- 

 ductive functions of earthworms. We quote in part from this 

 description : 



Each individual is a male and female (hermaphrodite), so 

 anyone of the same species will do for a mate. Though having 

 both eggs and spermatozoa, they are not self -fertilizing, but mu- 

 tually fertilize each other's eggs . . . 



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