The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-08-02
The Hair Worm, or HOrsclmir Snake.

lnc Half NORM, OF HOTSclilIl cHilhc.
A friend has sent us lively specimen
of that singular species OF animated ma
ture known rs the "hair worm," or
"horschair snake" 1t came into tho
possession of our friend from the faucet
Of her dwelling, connected with the
water works. In answer to inquiries rs
to its origin, and how it came all the why
through the pipes, we append the fol-
lowing:
Most OF or readers arc doubtless
familiar with the form and appearance OF
this singular worm or snake, and many
of us, when boys, md some Of us when
full grown men and women, were fully
impressed with the belief that hair
from horses tail, when left in II pond
or other still, warm water, would turn
into one OF those singular creatures. 1t
has been n popular belief that il incau.
tiously handled it will bite the ends Of
the fingers and occasion that peculiar
sore or gathering called whitlow. But
the microscope shows that it las neither
Jaws nor other instruments by which it
can either bite or sting. Indeed, it has
not even mouth, but obtains its susie.
nance by the absorption of fluids through
n membrane over that part OF its body
where the mouth should be. Joseph
Lcidy, well known Philadelphia pro-
fcssor, once tried series of exhaustive
experiments to prove that this popular
notion OF its origin could not be true.
The microscope and scientific invcstiga-
ton. however, have more fully proven
TINT this, like every other living crca-
turc, springs from MI egg in the first
place.
Science informs us that this is not an
insect, but belongs to that class OF para
site worms which live and thrive for n
certain length of time i'll the iutestines
or substances OF some other body, like
the tape worm in tho human system and
the trichinn III the hog. The name of
tho genus to which this worm belongs il
GOr6ii,ts, and there are quite number
of different species. The most common
species of this genus, and that to which
the one now before us belongs, live i'll
in the bodies Of grasshoppcis, crickcts,
and various other insects; but when
nearly mature and full grown, they bore
their way out Of their insect home, and
take to the water or moist earth, where
after n few days they lay their eggs,
which are almost innumemblc. They
are laid in long strings, which look like
very fine white sewing cotton. One of
these worms was seen by Prof. Leidy,
while he was experimenting, to lay n
string ninety inches longl These eggs
are exceedingly small-so small That up
ward Of T. 600 of them have been count
cd in one fOrty-iifth OF an inch rs thus
laid in n string. This would give some
thing like six millions Of eggs Ns the
product Of tho single worm Observed by
Prof. Leidy.
The eggs, exposed to the warm sun,
hatch in about one month, and libGrato
worms which have very little or no re-
semblanco to their parents. The pro-
fessor during hisinvestigation succeeded
in Matching several eggs. They pro.
duced small tadpolc-shnpcd creatures,
with spine and two circles OF sharp
hooks-six in n circle, which could be
pushed in and down out Of the head.
This forms Il kipd Of boring apparatus,
by which the tadpolo can penetrate the
bodies OF such insects MS may approach
them. The professor placed some of
tho larvn of May flies in the vessel in
which the eggs were hatched, and soon
the young tadpole GOriU were seen to
bore their way into the larvH. They
were also seen to penetrate tho delicate
membrane at tho joints Of the legs of
crickcts and grasshoppers which were
confined and placed in the vessel. They
were carefully watched, and it WIS found
that they gradually Nsccnded among the
muscles and other organs of the bodies,
strongly reminding one of the similar
but slower movement Of trichinN in the
muscles OF man and the hog.
OF course, their change from the tad
pole condition to the worm takes place
within tho body Of the insect in which
they take up their temporary home,
living nnd increasing by the nutritious
fluids there found until nearly or quite
fully grown. That such is the case has
been verified by report from MIR. Jus.
tus Gage, who some years since wrote to
the Michigan Farmer, MS the result of
his observations, that he had discovcied
that the cricket resorts to the water dur
ing the month OF August to rid itself OF
its unwclcome intruder. Mr.. Gage had
been led to believe that the hair worms,
which were numerous in Il certain
locality, issued from the bodies OF
crickets, which were also numerous in
the same locality, although he was uuac.
Quaintcd with the manner in which they
found their way into the crickcts.
One day, after he had been expert
mcnting by placing crickcts in the
water to obtain hair worms from them,
and had succeeded in securing two
specimens, he noticed Il cricket crawling
mp the side OF his water pail. 1t jumped
into the water, lay quiet for II moment,
produced hair worm some six inches i'll
length, and then made its escape nimbly
over the edge OF the pail. About the
same timo he found worm somo seven
inches long in Il dead cricket which he
found under stonc.-Iacifc RUra,
Press.