THE EARTHWORM. 33 



geneoTis character is given to the soil. Although the 

 conclusion may appear at first startling, it wUl be 

 difficult to deny the probability, that every particle of 

 earth, forming the bed from which the turf in old 

 pasture-land springs, has passed through the intes- 

 tines of worms, and hence the term ' animal mould ' 

 would in some respects be more appropriate than that 

 of ' vegetable mould.' " He concludes by remarking, 

 " that the agriculturist, in ploughing the ground, 

 follows a method strictly natural ; he only imitates 

 in a rude manner, without beiag able either to bury 

 the pebbles, or to sift the fine from the coarse earth, 

 the work which Nature is daily performing by the 

 agency of the Earthworm." 



With regard to the latter portion of these remarks, 

 exemplifying, as they do, in a forcible manner the 

 principle to which we have more than once alluded 

 in the course of this short history, namely that 

 Nature has not bestowed all these pains on the for- 

 mation of the worm without some useful end, we 

 would now also add a few words in concluding this 

 section of our treatise. 



Those who know what astonishing results are pro- 

 duced by the labours of the minute and (compared 

 with the worm) still more humble Madrepore polyp, 

 commonly known as the Coral insect; how in the 

 course of ages it bulds up continents in the midst of 

 the ocean ; will not for an instant be inclined to doubt 

 that the worm aids in the deposition of the surface- 

 soil, simply on the score of its apparent insignifi- 



