| OCR Text |
Show CuAP. II. 90 IIABI'fB OF vVOB.MS. d not well burrow th~t the broader en w~s h' adapted' for th1.s purpose-even 1n t 1s case a larcre proportion would probably have had theirb basal en d s a·u t1' ed · we lnay therefore 1. nfer-1.m prob a ble as is the inference·- tdh at worms are a ble b.y some 1nean. s to JdU ge h. l . t1 e best end by whiCh to raw W lC 1 lS 1 . 1 s of paper into their burrows. tnang e £ cr · cr ob-rrhe percentage results of tbe or~oOlilo servatw. ns on the manne. r in. whiCh wormh s draw van.o us 1n .n d s of ob,ects Into the mout s J • of their burrows may be abridged as follows:- Nature or Object. ---------------- Leaves of various kincls . . . - of the Lime, basal margin of blade broad, apex acumi-nated - of a Laburnum, basal part of blanc as narrow as, or sometimes little narrower than the apical part. of the Rhododendron, basal part of blade often narrower than the apical part · · - of Pine-trees, consisting of two needles arising from a common base 1~[~~~e Drawn . Drawn burrows, in, by or m, by or by or neu r tbe near the n~ur the middle. ba;;c. apex. ------ 80 11 9 79 17 4 63 10 27 34 GG 100 CHAP. J L 'l'IIEIH INTELLIGENCE. 91 Drawn into the Drawn Dmwn Nature of Object. burrows, in, by or in, by or by vr ncu r the near the ncar the middle. bas('. upex. Petiol cti of a ClmnFtti s, some what poi nteu at the apex, and blunt at the base 76 24. -- of the Ash , the thick basal end orten drawn in to serve atl food 4.8•5 51•5 o[ Hobinia, extremely thin, especially towards the apex, so as to be ill-fitted fur plugging up tl1e burrows 44 56 'I.'riangles of paper, of the two sizes . 62 15 23 ---- of the broad ones alone 59 25 16 of the narrow ones alone 65 14 21 If we consider these everal cases, we can hardly escape from the conclusion that worms show some degree of intelligence in their manner of plugging up their burrows. Each particular object is seized in too uniform a manner, and from causes which we can generally understand, for the result to be attributed to mere chance. That every object has not been drawn in by its pointed end, rnay be accounted for by labour having been saved through some being inserted by their broader or thicker ends. No doubt worms |
