SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 299 



ECONOMIC SECTION. 



Arenicola, the " Lugworm," is of considerable 

 importance to the fisherman, being largely used as a bait 

 for flat-fish, codling, haddock, &c* 



The worms are obtained, at low tide, by digging in 

 the sand below the funnel-shaped opening and the coiled 

 casting which mark the head and tail ends of the animal's 

 burrow. Specimens obtained from near low-water mark 

 are larger than those found higher up the beach, and the 

 largest specimens are found in those parts of the beach 

 which are exposed only at low spring tides. Where there 

 is an abundance of organic matter in the sand the worms 

 are plentiful and usually of good size, so that fishermen 

 find it worth while to walk a moderate distance to such 

 sands, where they can more readily obtain a supply of 

 bait. Larger specimens usually bear exposure to the air 

 better than small young ones and the former may be kept 

 longer before use. At best however lugworms can only 

 be kept for a limited period, and should be used as soon as 

 possible after they are dug from the sand. In cold 

 weather they may be kept for a day or two without serious 

 detriment, but in hot weather they must be used within a 

 few hours. They are best kept in a cool place in a quan- 

 tity of moist sand sufficient to separate them from one 

 another. If they are allowed to lie together in a heap 

 they soon become soft and almost useless as bait. The 

 presence of a few burst or broken specimens expedites this 

 change, the ruptured worms lose their ccelomic fluid and 

 usually some blood, which fluids seem to affect rapidly the 



* Iii addition to the acknowledgments made in the footnotes on 

 three cf the following pages, I wish to thank Mr. J. Johnstone, B.Sc, 

 of Liverpool, Mr. H. C. Chadwick, of Port Erin, and Mr. Cyril 

 Crossland, B.A., of St. Andrews, for kindly sending to me information 

 on this subject. 



