Harley Edward Carmack, age 9, of Cape Girardeau., Missouri, far his question:

How can an earthworm see?

This quiet little fellow happens to be one of Andy's favorite creatures. He lives a very useful life, making burrows to let air and water down into the ground. He also devours rotting leaves and helps to break them down into usable food chemicals for the plant world. And he does all this splendid work with no legs to get around. True, he has a little mouth, a head end and a tail end, plus tiny bristles on his tummy to help him crawl. But he has no eyes like yours    yet he manages to see the things that are important to him.

He sees what he sees with cells in his pink skin., special cells that are sensitive to light. Dozens of them are crowded around his head and tail, the two ends most likely to poke outdoors. They sense bright light and shadows and his nerves flash these reports to his tiny brain. He escapes from vivid sunshine because it dries his moist skin. The earthworm has other cells that sense strong chemicals and favorite flavors. His hearing is feeble, but he can detect the vibrations of footsteps. to Kathy