216 MISCELLANEA (continued). [1881. 



and though I knew how kind-hearted [he was], yet the book 

 has raised him greatly in my respect, notwithstanding his 

 foibles and want of broad philosophical views. 



[The only other geological work of his later years was 

 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 

 (see vol. i. p. 284). 



Here he showed that " fragments of burnt marl, cinders, &c.,. 

 which had been thickly strewed over the surface of several 

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

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

 the explanation of this fact, which forms the central idea of 

 the geological part of the book, he was indebted to his uncle 

 Josiah Wedgwood, who suggested that worms, by bringing 

 earth to the surface in their castings, must undermine any 

 objects lying on the surface and cause an apparent sinking. 



In the book of 1881 he extended his observations on this 

 burying action, and devised a number of different ways of 

 checking his estimates as to the amount of work done.* He 

 also added a mass of observations on the habits, natural 

 history and intelligence of worms, a part of the work which 

 added greatly to its popularity. 



In 1877 Sir Thomas Farrer had discovered close to his 

 garden the remains of a building of Roman-British times, 

 and thus gave my father the opportunity of seeing for himself 



* He received much valuable trouble which you have taken, 



help from Dr. King, of the Botanical You have attended exactly and fully 



Gardens, Calcutta. The following to the points about which I was 



passage is from a letter to Dr. King, most anxious. If I had been each 



dated January 18, 1873 : — evening by your side, I could not 



" I really do not know how to have suggested anything else." 

 thank you enough for the immense 



