Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-07-27
INVESTIGATES
"MARCH OF WORMS"
% ff
:ntomologist Visits WetzeI Co.
On Special Mission.


the College OF Agriculture at
Vest Virginia University, who is
rope many other West Virginians
)een very much Interested in Wet
eel county and who went to Littles
ton, one day last week especially to
see them, reports this morning
hat the march is indeed phenom-
nal and that nothing like it has
las ever been known before in his
experience
The march; however, has stop
led at present and it not likely to
re resumed at this particular place,
Is most of the worms are dead and
lied one upon the other about the
abroad track and bluff in that vi
Unity. Prof. PEARS says the worms
travelled in such large numbers and
o close together that they fell in
,reat masses over the bluff and
led. They. are a form of worm
which does not live very long from
Moisture and were travelling with
he instinct -of migration rather
han for destructive purposes.
This worm does not feed on crop
lr any other food useful to us, but
'ubsists entirely on decayed vege-
alton, living under stones and in
sotting logs and stumps, mostly in
woods, IT has never been known to
march in such numbers before and
Prof Peairsa cannot give any other
'eason for the march that did take
place other than that for some
'eason the worm wished 10 migrate
either because it became too mum.
erous or conditions did rot suit
He can find no record of such an
extended march since early times.
Greek history mentions that the
Inhabitants of city were driven
out by marching worms, whether
iof this kind or not is uncertain.
Women We're driven out of the
fields near Littleton because they
became frightened The chickens
would not eat the worm because it
had a hard shell aad a very bad
odor resembling IS near as can be
described the olor of TIE bitter al
monds. The worm ak'l has in it's
compositionrra. minute amount of
prussic acid. which is deadly pois-
on; although it would probably not
kill the chicken could ii in any way
get the WORMS down its throat.
Why the cattle refused to Craze
IS ,.e Worm had passed re-
mains mystery. PROF.. PEARS says
this worm has' no religious or polit-
ical significance, although num-
Der of people felt it had something
to do with the war
This worm is brown in color,
though the color varies 1t has mar
row yellow stripes across the back
and is about an inch and half
,ong. 1t resembles the Thousand leg
worm or milipepde and the scien-
tific name for 1t is "polydesmusi"
Prof, PEARS took some pictures
showing the location of the. worm
In Wetzef county and as soon as
developed they will be sent TO The
West Virginian Office. He found
great numbers of them piled in the
grassy fields. over the bank and on
The railroad track. They were
dcattered over half mile, per-
haps couple of hundred yards OF
ground, One woman swept two tubs
full from her sixfoot square porch
Size did not sweep them all at
once, but during the time of the
march. People near Litt.eton did.
very little work for a few days and
were much worked up over the sit
lation
This worm. takes no other form
md is not form of moth The
7oung resemble the adult and 1t
axes two years for the worms to