16

[21 June-11 August 1880]

5)

Smell

Tried breathing gently on worms with mans breath & with cotton wool with mille-fleur perfume, & little acetic acid & tobacco chewed in my mouth; but it was the smaller worm not so sensitive & timid as the older one.

Jul 21 — I tried holding with pincers dab of cotton wool soaked with saliva & afterwards with mille-fleur near them, but produced no effect.

Current of air

So might it certainly seemed that removing glass-plate suddenly, though without any jar caused them to

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6)

retract suddenly; but certainly glass can be removed quietly without any effect; does it cause current. They were very sensitive this evening — even gentlest breathing excited them.

As Hoffmeister says 2 ant segments sensitive to Light. I tried repeatedly suddenly illuminating & darkening them, when hands free, & never coz effects — also held candle for some time Light before them. But this was done with glass plate over pot so no current existed: I also tried occasionally with glass-plate removed no effect except over. Hoffmeister was aware of currents. What he says about exposure to light for some time being necessary makes me doubt — which can very perplexing seem good observer.

[See Earthworms, p. 20.]

Aug 8th I see that glass-plates almost flat & cast bright spot on earth when candle moved about

Therefore tried 4

17v

Light

times by concentrating light with Bull's-eye on [anterior] extremity of worms & they dashed in, but failed once. This is Pot 2. with smaller worms — In Pot 1 with larger worms feeding the bulls-eye seemed to produce no effect.

Aug 9th tried several times with the Lens acted over failed for some time, but young worm was eating. Is it necessary that light shd strike worms in some particular direction or must the rings be stretched out & thus made translucent?

10th Again last night the worms, especially the smaller ones, dashed back from light of lens; but they did not always act there when feeding or dragging leaves to holes, even in the short intervals of their work — when their ant. extremity was free.

11th I have now repeatedly found that light from bull's eye causes sudden retraction; but if worm eating or dragging does not act — It is only illumination of ant. extremity which acts.

It does not depend on extension of ant. rings — I cannot account for occasional failure, or occasional action of candle without lens. Lens acts rather more frequently on the smaller worms in Pot 2 than on those in Pot. 1.

[in margin:] Similar observation on night of 12th

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July 22

7)

3 grains of starch removed & am almost sure 2 before: I saw worm trying to swallow one pellet, which had angles rounded by fluid from mouth; the worm then dragged grain into burrow

23° on Pot 2, 2 bits & in Pot 1 3 bits of starch have all disappeared

(see Back)

(I held bit of cotton-wool with paraffin within 2 or 3 inches of — worm no effect)

Smell

Jul 21st night — Placed paraffin lamp with green glass removed between the 2 pots — light dazzling — the worm did not notice it, but after about 10 min all retired into holes — after 30 m all still in holes except 1 which had come out. At 9° 30' P. 2 Took away lamp; at 10 P.m all still remain in holes except 1 — Brought back lamp at 10° 30 & at 10° 45' all retied into holes 15' — at 11° still in holes. Hoffmeister correct Light affects nearer collar sufficient to tell them day from night

July 22d — Placed writing bright porcelain lamp without globe between the 2 pots at 7° 30' P.m — at 8° 40' one small worm partially

18v

July 23d

Pot 1 Bit of starch & 3 of whiting in both pots: in no. 2 all 4 have disappeared & in the other not one!

I am quite doubtful, for I found one of old bits of starch dragged into burrow & apparently not gnawed. — Evidence worth nothing about starch.

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8)

(Light)

out of burrow — 9° 20' P.m other worm gone & in Pot a large worm with head out of burrow.

9° 40' & 10° P.m all worms in burrows for last fortnight. I have looked many times at pots & never saw such a case. — At 10° Lamp removed, but at 10° 50' still all in burrow; yet they came out later in night in both & eat up starch & dragged 1 leaf to hole. (It is the lowest grade of vision, if it can e so called, which have been observed.)

July 23 8° 23' P.m — 3 worms out in the 2 Pots put lamp without globe. 8° 36' all in holes — Took away lamp.

9° 1' P.m 3 worms out put lamp again

9 11' all 3 in holes except just tips of heads of one.

They retire very gradually, throwing themselves about as if they felt something disagreeable

9. 12' removed lamp —

9° 30' one out in each pot & brought back Lamp, but made little jar

9.45 big worm in — small worm out but under leaf — removed Lamp.

10.6 one worm well out in each Pot — brought back lamp

(In Pot I the worms have left hole altogether & is

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9)

crawling about) At 10° 25' the first worm has crawled into strong hole as far as it could & 2d worm has quite disappeared. On morning of 24th the freely crawling worm has gone back into burrow.-