A Catalogue of the British Non-parasitical Worms in the Collection of the British Museum

Front Cover

From inside the book

Contents

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 325 - ... worms seem to be great promoters of vegetation., which would proceed but lamely without them ; by boring, perforating, and loosening the soil, and rendering it pervious to rains and the fibres of plants ; by drawing straws and stalks of leaves and twigs into it ; and, most of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of lumps of earth called worm-casts, which, being their excrement, is a fine manure for grain and grass.
Page 325 - Earth-worms, though in appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of Nature, yet, if lost, would make a lamentable chasm.
Page 92 - In human works, though labour'd on with pain, A thousand movements scarce one purpose gain; In God's, one single can its end produce; Yet serves to second too, some other use.
Page 329 - The worm that draws a long immoderate size The trout abhors, and the rank morsel flies; And if too small, the naked fraud's in sight, And fear forbids, while hunger does invite. Those baits will best reward the fisher's pains Whose...
Page 325 - For to say nothing of half the birds, and some quadrupeds which are almost entirely supported by them, worms seem to be great promoters of vegetation, which would proceed but lamely without them, by boring, perforating, and loosening the soil, and rendering it, pervious to rains and the fibres of plants, by drawing straws and stalks of leaves and twigs into it; and, most of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of lumps of earth called worm-casts, which being their excrement, is a fine manure...
Page 319 - On the authority of hundreds of observations laboriously repeated at every season of the year, the author of this report can declare with deliberate firmness, that there is not one word of truth in the above statement.
Page 325 - Worms probably provide new soil for hills and slopes where the rain washes the earth away ; and they affect slopes, probably to avoid being flooded. Gardeners and farmers express their detestation of worms ; the former because they render their walks unsightly, and make them much work ; and the latter because, as they think, worms eat their green corn. But these men would find that the earth without worms would soon become cold, hard-bound, and void of fermentation, and consequently sterile...
Page 291 - Look now, as it is raised, and its coils drawn out! Three feet — six — nine, at least; with a capability of seemingly endless expansion; a slimy tape of living caoutchouc some eighth of an inch in diameter, a dark chocolate-black, with paler longitudinal lines. Is it alive? It hangs, helpless and motionless, a mere velvet string across the hand. Ask the neighbouring Annelids, and the fry of the rock fishes, or put it in a vase, at home, and see.
Page 292 - In an instant a bell-shaped sucker mouth has fastened to his side. In another instant, from one lip, a concave double proboscis, just like a tapir's (another instance of the repetition of forms), has clasped him like a finger; and now begins the struggle: but in vain. He is being 'played...
Page 293 - Ouse having Oulney past, as she were waxed mad, Prom her first stayder course immediately doth gad, And in meandered gyres doth whirl herself about, That, this way, here and there, back, forward, in and out ; And like a wanton girl, oft doubling in her gait, In labyrinth-like turns and twinings intricate, Thro those rich fields doth run.

Bibliographic information