300 MISCELLANEA. [en. xv. 



pointing out that the Darwinian position had been to a 

 great extent misunderstood by its opponents, he showed 

 that the rival theory presented even greater difficulties than 

 those which it professed to remove. 



" During the last five years, the whole question of the 

 origin of coral-reefs and islands has been re-opened, and a 

 controversy has arisen, into which, unfortunately, acrimoni- 

 ous elements have been very unnecessarily introduced. 

 Those who desire it, will find clear and impartial statements 

 of the varied and often mutually destructive views put for- 

 ward by different authors, in three works which have made 

 their appearance within the last year The Bermuda Isl- 

 ands, by Professor Angelo Heilprin : Corals and Coral Isl- 

 ands, new edition by Professor J. D. Dana ; and the third 

 edition of Darwin's Coral-Reefs, with Notes and Appendix 

 by Professor T. G. Bonney. 



" Most readers will, I think, rise from the perusal of 

 these works with the conviction that, while on certain points 

 of detail it is clear that, through the want of knowledge 

 concerning the action of marine organisms in the open 

 ocean, Darwin was betrayed into some grave errors, yet the 

 main foundations of his argument have not been seriously 

 impaired by the new facts observed in the deep-sea research- 

 es, or by the severe criticisms to which his theory has been 

 subjected during the last ten years. On the other hand, I 

 think it will appear that much misapprehension has been 

 exhibited by some of Darwin's critics, as to what his views 

 and arguments really were ; so that the reprint and wide 

 circulation of the book in its original form is greatly to be 

 desired, and cannot but be attended with advantage to all 

 those who will have the fairness to acquaint themselves with 

 Darwin's views at first hand, before attempting to reply to 

 them." 



The only important geological work of my father's later 

 years is embodied in his book on earthworms (1881), which 

 may therefore be conveniently considered in this place. 

 This subject was one which had interested him many years 

 before this date, and in 1838 a paper on the formation of 

 mould was published in the Proceedings of the Geological 

 Society. 



Here he showed that " fragments of burnt marl, cinders, 

 &c, which had been thickly strewed over the surface of sev- 

 eral meadows were found after a few years lying at a depth 

 of some inches beneath the turf, but still forming a layer." 



