NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 495 
of the coast-guard during the first week of October, and is now, I believe, 
in the possession of Mr. Hutchinson, of Derby.—Cuas. Dixon (Tenterden 
Street, W.). 
Honey Buzzarp In HerrrorpsHrre.—As an interesting coincidence 
in connection with the notice (p. 472) of a Honey Buzzard being shot in 
this county, I may mention that a bird of this species was killed on the 
same day in this parish, which is about six miles distant from where the 
previous bird was met with.—J. A. Ew1ne (Westwick Rectory, Herts). 
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 
The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the action of Worms ; 
with Observations on their Habits. By Caries Darwin, 
LL.D., F.R.S. Post 8vo, pp. 313. London: Murray. 
1881. 
Tue perusal of a paper “On the Formation of Mould,” pub- 
lished by Mr. Darwin many years ago in the ‘ Transactions of the 
Geological Society,’ has in some measure prepared us for the 
volume just issued, which may be regarded as an expansion of the 
former essay. Objections having been taken by continental 
naturalists to some of the statements put forth by Mr. Darwin in 
his earlier brochure, he resolved to make more observations of 
the same kind as those he had published, and to carry out some 
experiments, with a view to ascertain the degree of intelligence 
possessed by earthworms. 
By many people these lowly organised creatures are regarded 
as too insignificant to be worth notice, and few probably have 
taken sufficient interest in them to examine their structure and 
investigate their habits. 
The body of an earthworm consists externally of a series 
of rings, from one hundred to two hundred in number, each 
having short bristles projecting from it. These rings are well 
seen in the remains of a worm that has been dried by exposure 
to the sun and air, when they retain their annular shape, and form 
a hollow tube. They are connected by a membrane or skin, 
and are moved by strong muscles contained in their interior. 
The fore part of the body is tapering, and ends in a mouth with 
lips. Immediately behind the mouth is the gullet or tube leading 
