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Show 26 HABITS OF WORMS. CHAP. I. times a poker heated to dull .redness near some worms, at a distance whwh caused a very sensible degree of warmth in my ha.nd. One of them took no notice; a second Withdrew into its burrow, but not quickly ; the third and fourth much more quickly, and the fifth as quickly as possible. The light f~om a candle concentrated by a lens and passing through~ sheet of glass which would intercept most of the heat-rays, generally caused a much more rapid retreat than did the heated poker. Worms are sensitive to a low t~mperature, as may be inferred from thmr not coming out of their burrows during. a frost. Worms do not possess any sense of hearing. They took not the least notice of tbe shrill notes from a metal whistle, which was repeatedly sounded near them; nor did they of the deepest and loudest tones of a bassoon. They were indifferent to shouts, if care was taken that the breath did not strike them. When placed on a table close to t~e keys of a piano, which was played as loudly as possible, they remained perfectly quiet. Although they are indifferent to undulations in the air audible by us, they are 0IIAP. I. THEIR SENSES. 27 extremely sensitive to vibrations in any solid object. When the pots containing two worms which had remained quite indifferent to the sound of the piano, were placed on this instru1nent, and the note 0 in the bass clef was struck, both instantly retreated into their burrows. After a time they emerged, and when G above the line in the treble clef was struck they again retreated. Under similar circumstances on another night one worm dashed into its burrow on a very high note being struck only once, and the other worm when 0 in the treble clef was struck. On these occasions the worms were not touching the sides of the pots, which stood in saucers ; so that the vibrations, before reaching their bodies, had to pass from the sounding board of the piano, through the saucer, the bottom of the pot and the damp, not very com pact earth on which they lay with their tails in their burrows. They often showed their sensitiveness when the pot in which they lived, or the table on which the pot stood, was accidentally and lightly struck; but they appeared less sensitive to such jars than to the vibrations of the |
