The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-05

earth annually passes through their
bodies and is brought to the surface on
each acre of land, so that the whole su-
perficial bed of the surface soil, that is,
the whole of the vegetable mold passes
through their bodies in the course OF
few years. In France, near Nice, the
amount is from fourteen TO eighteen
tons per acre. AS the burrows collapse,
the soil constantly but slowly improves.
Every burrow exposes fresh soil TO the
action of the carbonic acid in the soil,
and of the humus acids, which appear
to be still more efficient in the decom-
position of rocks
Their Work Summarized.
Angleworms consume 50 much earth,
from the mere pleasure of eating IT,
that their bodies are to be regarded as
natures finer mills for the completion
of the rock-grinding process. Each
country has no doubt several species.
Scandinavia is known to have eight.
These animals prefer the land. but Will
live a long time if kept in water They
are nocturnal in habit, crawling out at
night. probably to avoid their enemies;
but sick individuals, affected by the
IaTva of a fly, wander iii the daytime
as all do at the pairing season. Any
morning, after a rain, large numbers
may be SEEN
Having no sense of direction, they
get lost on hard pavements, and often
perish before they can find the earth
again. Probably for the sake of warmth
| they often lie near the surface OF their
burrows habit that enables robins
| and blackbirds to procure large num-
hers of them. In winter they close
their burrows, the mouths of which
they often coat with leaves. They tun-
mel under every object on the land;
they may cause it to sink and Will
finally bury it beneath their castings
Old. massive walls, elegant and tessel-
ated pavements, etc, have thus been
preserved to the delight of archaeolo-
gists. 'Tt is a marvellous reflection,
writes Darwin, that the whole of the
superficial mold over any wide, turf
covered expanse has passed and vii
pass, every few years, through the
bodies of worms. The pillow is one o.
, the most ancient and valuable of man!
| inventions; but long before he existed
the land was in fact regularly ploWed
and still continues to be thus plowed
, nv earthworms." The work of tn
earthvorm is more thorough than tina
, of the bowman. and is carried on ever
. while the crops are growing. Thes
concealed plowmen are CONSTANT!
turning over the SOIL IOOt ny lou d{i'
grain by grain, till it is in the bes
! filth for every purpose of agriculture
Biology of the Worm.
The body of large earthworm con
sists of from 100 to 200 segments, eacl
bearing minute bristles that enable /
to climb smooth surfaces. 1t crawl
backward as well as forward. TIL
, mouth has a little projection, or lip
land is a mere opening without teeth
, On each side of the oesophagus ar
three pairs of calcfferous or linn
, glands. unlike anything known in an.
other animal, used in the digestive pro
, cess. the lime carbonate often bein;
found with the castings. The oesopha
gus is enlarged. in most species, INTO
crop in front of the gizzard, which l
operated by strong muscles. ana con
tains small stones for grndlng. IN
, worms are destitute of eyes, but sensl
tive to light, from which they usual.
; retire: are more sensitive to cold thai
to heat: do not possess any sense o
hearing. but are extremely sensitive L
vibrations in any solid object; nave
perception of few odors, such as tnos
[ of onion and cabbage leaves, whlcl
! they devour Judging from their ca
gerness for certain kinds of food, the.
; must enjoy eating: they are omnlVof
; Gus, swallowing, besides leaves, enor
nous quantities of earth. They dislik
to leave their burrows open, ana plul
> them ND with stones and leaves, show
) ling some intelligence in this WORK, pre-
| ferring to draw objects in lengtf1gtse
Ants have no such capacity, ana IVA