58 Charles Darwin. 



ig came of it, or of what had been as long known of our 

 )ioncea, beyond a vague wonderment, until Mr. Darwin took 

 p the subject for experimental investigation. The precursor 

 [ his volume on "The Movements and Habits of Climbing 

 hints," published in 1875, as well as of the recent and lamer 

 olume on "The Power of Movement in Plants," 1880, was an 

 ;say published in the Journal of the Linnean Society in 1865; 

 id this wns instigated by an accidental but capital observation 

 ;uie by a correspondent, in whose hands it was sterile; but it 

 -came wonderfully fertile when touched by Darwin's genius.* 

 as latest volume, on il The Formation of Vegetable Mould 

 irough the Action of Worms;' is a development, after long 

 sara, of a paper which he read before the Geological Society 

 ■ London in 1837. 

 These subsidiary volumes are less widely known than those 



:tv characteristic of the author's genius and methods, — char- 

 ■teristic also of his laboriousness. For the amount of pro- 

 nged observation, watchful care, and tedious experiment they 

 ive demanded is as remarkable as the skill in devising simple 

 id effectual modes of investigation is admirable. That he 

 lould have had the courage to undertake and the patience to 

 Lt-ry on new inquiries of this kind after he had reached his 

 ireescore and ten years of age, and alter he had attained an 

 i paralleled breadth of influence and wealth of fame, speaks 



