Arthurdendyus triangulatus No 20 was smaller than average. Wanting to see if it would find its way back to the plastic basin, I lifted it and placed it on the centre of three tiled steps which were nearby. As it was uncurling, its head end, which was a much lighter tan colour, became as thin as the lead of a pencil. This end was repeatedly raised a couple of millimetres above the tile before being lowered again, while it sensed the direction in which to move. Leaving a mucus trail which quickly dried, it first circled towards the edge of the tile before continuing in a straight line towards a wall. This was not the most direct route towards the basin.
I killed the flatworm and continued to hunt for slugs. I was really surprised to find a small earthworm under a black plastic flower pot. This was 1m from where I had put A. triangulatus No 20. Travelling at 17m per hour, the flatworm could have found both shelter and a meal in 3.5 minutes. It seemed unaware of both.
It seems unlikely that the flat worms, on their journey to the plastic basin, cross the steps, and more likely that they travel over, or through, the liverwort, silky wall feather moss and the small, prostrate, white-flowered weed which I am unable to name, at the edge of the bottom step.
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