L U M B 
i. Lumbricus terreftris, the common earth-worm, or dew- 
worm. Specific character, body red, with eight rows of pric¬ 
kles. It inhabits decayed wood and the common foil, which 
by perforating it renders fit to receive the rain ; devours 
the cotyledons of plants, and wanders about by night; is 
the food of moles, hedgehogs, and various birds. On the 
body there are about 14.0 rings, each of which contains four 
pair of prickles, not vifible to the eye, but difcoverable 
by the touch : when expanded is convex each fide, and 
-when contracted is flattilh beneath, with a red canal down 
the whole body. 
This worm has neither bones, brains, eyes, nor feet. It 
has a number of breathing-holes fituated along the back, 
and near each ring. The heart is placed near the head, 
and may be obferved to beat with a very diftinft motion. 
The fmall rings are furnilhed with a fet of mufcles, that 
enable it to ait in a fort of fpiral direction ; and by this 
means it is capable, in the mod complete manner, of creep¬ 
ing on the e?„rth, or penetrating into its fubftance. Thefe 
mufcles enable the worm to contract or dilate its body with 
great force. The rings of each are armed with final! ftifflbarp 
prickles, whieh the animal is able to open out or clofe upon 
its body ; and from beneath the flcin there is fecreted a 
a (limy matter, which, by lubricating the body, greatly 
facilitates its palfage through the earth. 
Dew-worms though a fmall and frequently regarded as 
a defpicable link in the chain of nature, would, ifloft, be 
greatly miffed by thofe who are apt to confider them as a 
nuifance. For,'independently of their affording a large 
fupply of food to birds, &c. already noticed, they are of 
oreat ufe in promoting vegetation, by boring, perforating, 
and loofening, the foil, and rendering it pervious to rain 
and the fibres of plants ; by drawing draws and dalks of 
leaves and twigs into it; and, molt of all, by throwing up 
fuch numbers of lumps called worm-cads, which adt as a 
fine manure for grain and grafs. Worms probably pro¬ 
vide new foil for hills and (lopes when the rain wadies the 
earth away; and they affeCt dopes probably to avoid being 
flooded. Gardeners and farmers exprefs their detedation 
of worms: the former, becaufe they render their works 
unfightly, and make them much work; and the latter 
beca^ife they think worms eat their green corn. But thefe 
men would find, that the earth, without worms, would 
foon become cold, hard-bound, and void of fermentation, 
and confequently fterile; and belides, in favour of worms, 
it fiiould be hinted,' that green corn, plants, and flowers, 
are not fo much injured by them as by many fpecies of 
infefts in their larva or grub date, and by unnoticed my¬ 
riads of tliofe fmall fhell-lefs fnails called dugs, which 
iilently and imperceptibly make amazing havock in the 
field and garden. Bingicy's Animal Biography, vol. iii. 
Earth-worms are plentifully found in moift fat grounds, 
but rarely, if ever, in dry fands. M. Reaumur propofed 
collecting them as a cheap fubftitute for grain in feeding 
domedic poultry. The phydcians, who appear to have 
overlooked fcarcely any produce of the three kingdoms of 
pature, have ufed thefe creatures, under the notion of 
their podeding an antifpafmodic and diuretic virtue. Neu¬ 
mann relates feveral experiments made with them. They 
are cleanfed by walhing, and fuffering them to creep 
through dry woollen cloths. Unlefs hadily dried by the 
beat of the fun or a fire, they are very apt to putrefy. 
Moiltened with wine or vinous fpirit, to prevent their 
putrefaCfion, and fet in a cellar in a wide-mouthed glafs, 
they are almoft wholly refolved in a few days into a 
(limy liquor. This liquor is by fome efleemed of great 
virtue in medicine, and faid to be difcutient, emollient, 
and an opener of obftruClions ; and has been prefcribed 
in apoplexies, fpafms, and all nervous affections, and in 
the jaundice, dropfies, and colics. 
The earth-worm has been often confounded with the 
Afcaris lumbricoides, or round worm of the human intef- 
tines. The difference has been already pointed out in the 
article Helminthology, vol, ix. p. J 43 * but the reader 
^fOL. XIII. No. 943. 
R I C U S. 76[) 
may now compare them, by referring for the inteftinal 
worm, to the Plate Ascaris, fig. r. in our fecond vo¬ 
lume; and, for the common earth-worm, to fig. 1. of the 
annexed Plate. 
а. Lumbricus marinus, the lug : back with two rows 
of briftly tubercles. This inhabits the fhores of Europe, 
where it buries itfelf deep in the fand, leaving a little rif» 
ing with an aperture on the furface ; and is ufed as a bait 
for fifh. Body pale red, round, and annulate. 
3. Lurnbricoides' vernricuiaris: body white, with two 
rows-of prickles. It inhabits the wet and decayed trunks 
of trees, and among moift leaves; moving very expediti- 
oufly in moift places, but twilling itfelf up in dry ones. 
Its body is poljftied and glabrous. 
4.. Lumbricus variegatus: rufous fpotted, with fix rows 
of prickles. It inhabits wet plantations, and is the mod: 
beautiful of the whole genus. The body red, very finely 
teflelate with brown, having a fanguineous line running 
down the whole body. It eafily breaks in pieces, and 
as eafily reproduces what has been loft by accident cr 
otberwife. 
5. Lumbricus tubifexbody reddifh, with two rows of 
prickles. The body is pellucid, very Ample, thin, and 
truncate atthe tip, with a dark intefline. They are found 
at the bottom of rivulets, where they form a perpendi¬ 
cular tube of earth for their habitation ; as may be feen at 
fig. z. which reprelents a lump of earth with the tubes 
ereCt, and fome of the worms appearing exferted ; they 
move thenrfelves about in various directions, as if to inhale 
the air, or perhaps in fearch of food, but upon the lead 
interruption they quickly withdraw each into its feparate 
tube. One of thefe worms, highly magnified, is fhown at 
fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a variety of the fame, larger, and with 
longer briltles, which conceals itfelf in the fame kind of 
earth, but has not been obferved to form tubes -. fig. 5. is 
a feCtion of the middle of the body, fhowing the briltles 
and the alimentary canal. 
б. Lumbricus lineatus : body white, with a longitudi¬ 
nal red line. Found very abundantly on the (hores of 
the Baltic, among lea-weed. It is pellucid, with rather a 
Ihortbody, having a yellow artery on the back, and a bi¬ 
fid vein towards the head. 
7. Lumbricus cilintus: body rufous, and ciliate be¬ 
tween the rings; the body is glabrous, with about forty 
fegments ; the interfeCtions armed with four tufts of (hurt 
briftles. 
8. Lumbricus tubicola : white, with a red dorfal fpot on 
each of the fegments. This fpecies is found in the bays 
of Norway that have a clayey bottom, in a round membra¬ 
naceous tube, covered with mud, and about an inch longer 
than itlelf. It has twenty-five fegments in the body, of 
which the interfeftions are armed with two briftles on 
each fide; the inteftine is black, and running down the 
whole body. This worm is fhown of the natural fize at 
fig. 6. The fegments of the body are of unequal length; 
thofe at the head end being fo Ihort as to be fcarcely dif- 
tjnguilhable, and becoming longer towards the tail, the 
laft being more than half an inch long; and is Ihown 
magnified at fig. 7. 
9. Lumbricus echiurus : body covered with" rows of 
granulations ; the hind-part obtufely truncate, and fur- 
rounded with a double crown of briltles. It inhabits the 
fandy bottom of the (bores of Belgium ; is molt obfervable 
in winter, and is the chief food of cod-fifn. Body whitilh- 
grey, with fulvous vilcera, about the fize of a middle fin¬ 
ger; tongue fielhy, thickilh, and boat-lhaped. 
10. Lumbricus thalafferaa : body ftriate, dirty red, with 
Ihining red fpots, beneath grey; mouth furrounded with 
a funnel-like tube, which is wrinkled within, and plaited at 
the margin ; the body is glabrous, mucous, thicker at one 
end, and fomewhat pointed at the other; the mouth is 
placed above, with a faftron funnel. Inhabits the Ihores 
of Cornwall. 
1 r. Luntbricus edulis: body whitifii j fleflt-colour; fub- 
9 E clavate 
