ZOOLOGY. 



Work of Earth-worms in Yoruba Country, West Africa. 

 —In the Proceedings of The Roval Geographical Society October 

 1891, Mr. Alvan Millson gives the following account of the' extraordi- 

 nary work done by West African earth-worms. 



"Northward from Ihadan. which may he described as the centre of 

 the chief military and commercial power in Yoruha, two days journey 

 — about forty miles — through many villages, and a landscape -lotted 

 far and near with oil-palms i FJ"h gitlnccnxiij, along a road thronged 

 with travelers, brings one to the capital of central Yoruha, ()y<> 

 (Awyaw). On leaving Ibadan I passed ill the course of our morning's 

 march over 4700 men, women, and children, hurrying into the great 

 city from the farm villages, with loads of maize, beans, vams, vain 

 flour, sweet potatoes, fowls, pigs, ducks; or driving cattle, sheep, and 

 goats; or mounted on small native horses which amble quickly along 

 under the combined influence of an Arab ring-hit and an armed spur 

 which leaves its traces in deep scores along the flanks of the poor 



" Far and wide the land has, for generations, and indeed for centur- 

 ies, been cultivated by these industrious natives. The hatchet, the 

 fire, and the hoe have removed all traces of the original forest, save 

 indeed where a dark trail of green . wu where 



the valley of some narrow watercourse or larger river is hidden among 



" For two or three years at most the land is allowed to lie fallow, 

 while for three or four years double or treble crops are raised with no 

 further cultivation than an occasional scrape with a hoe. and .luring 

 it- fallow time no further care is taken of it than to let a rank growth 

 of reedy grass spring up some six or eight feet in height. Among this 

 grass can be seen the seedlings and young plants of a new forest which 

 would rapidly take possession were the laud to be permanently 

 deserted. 



" In spite of this careless and exhausting method of cultivation the 

 crops maintain an excellent average, and the same plot of ground 

 serves for generations to support its owners. 



"The following extracts taken from notes taken at the time will serve 

 to explain the apparently inexhaustible fertility of a soil which does 

 not at first sight show any signs of unusual richness. 



