The anterior extremity thus serves as a
wedge. It also serves, as we have before seen, for prehension and
suction, and as a tactile organ. A worm was placed on loose mould,
and it buried itself in between two and three minutes. On another
occasion four worms disappeared in 15 minutes between the sides of
the pot and the earth, which had been moderately pressed down. On
a third occasion three large worms and a small one were placed on
loose mould well mixed with fine sand and firmly pressed down, and
they all disappeared, except the tail of one, in 35 minutes. On a
fourth occasion six large worms were placed on argillaceous mud
mixed with sand firmly pressed down, and they disappeared, except
the extreme tips of the tails of two of them, in 40 minutes. In
none of these cases, did the worms swallow, as far as could be
seen, any earth. They generally entered the ground close to the
sides of the pot.
A pot was next filled with very fine ferruginous sand, which was
pressed down, well watered, and thus rendered extremely compact. A
large worm left on the surface did not succeed in penetrating it
for some hours, and did not bury itself completely until 25 hrs. 40
min. had elapsed. This was effected by the sand being swallowed,
as was evident by the large quantity ejected from the vent, long
before the whole body had disappeared.
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