coming into close contact with the cold, damp earth.

+The Uses of Words and Groups of Words+.--We will break up Mr. Darwin's
first group of sentences into single sentences or single statements, each
having but one predicate verb.

1. Angleworms often lie for hours almost motionless close beneath the
mouths of their burrows. 2. Morren says this. 3. I have occasionally
noticed the same fact with worms kept in pots in the house. 4. By looking
down into their burrows their heads could just be seen. 5. The ejected
earth or rubbish over the burrows may suddenly be removed. 6. The end of
the worm's body may then very often be seen rapidly retreating.

Find the two chief words (subject and predicate) in 1. What does _often_
do? What does the group of words _for hours_ do? The group _almost
motionless_ describes what things? The group _close beneath the mouths of
their burrows_, used like a single adverb, tells what? Find the two chief
words in 2. _This_ helps out the meaning of _says_, but it is not an
adverb. _This_ is here a pronoun standing for the thing said. What whole
sentence does _this_ take the place of? Find the subject and the predicate
verb in 3. What noun follows this verb to tell what Mr. Darwin noticed?
What does _occasionally_ do? What does _same_ go with? What group of eight
words tells in what way Mr. Darwin noticed this fact? Find the unmodified
subject and predicate in 4. What does the second _their_ go with? What does
_by looking down into their burrows_ tell? What does _just_ do? In 5, put
_what_ before _may be removed_, and find two words either of which may be
used as subject. What is the office of _the_, _ejected_, and the group
_over the burrows_? What does _suddenly_ do? Find the subject and the
predicate verb in 6. _Retreating_ helps out the meaning of the predicate
and at the same time modifies the subject. Notice that _the end rapidly