152 
Nx^TUBAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
drowned. The most insignificant insects and reptiles are of much 
more consequence, and have much more influence in the economy of 
Nature, than the incurious are aware of ; and are mighty in their effect, 
from their minuteness, which renders them less an object of attention ; 
and from their numbers and fecundity. Earth-worms, though in 
appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of Nature, yet, 
if lost, would make a lamentable chasm. For to say nothing of half 
the birds, and some quadrupeds which are almost entirely supported 
by them, worms seems to be the great promoters of vegetation, which 
would proceed but lamely without them, by boring, perforating, and 
loosening the soil, and rendering it pervious to rains and the fibres of 
plants, by drawing straws and stalks of leaves and twigs into it ; and, 
most of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of lumps of earth 
called worm-casts, which, being their excrement, is a fine manure for 
grain and grass. Worms probably provide new soil for hills and slopes 
where the rain washes the earth away ; and they affect slopes, probably 
to avoid being flooded."^ Gardeners and farmers express their detesta- 
tion of worms ; the former because they render their walks unsightly, 
and make them much work ; and the latter because, as they think, 
worms eat their green corn. But these men would find that the earth 
without worms would soon become cold, hard-bound, and void of 
fermentation, and consequently steril ; and besides, in favour of worms, 
it should be hinted that green corn, plants, and flowers, are not so 
much injured by them as by many species of coleoptera (scarabs), and 
tipulce (long-legs) in their larva, or grub-state ; and by unnoticed 
myriads of small shell-less snails, called slugs, which silently and 
imperceptibly make amazing havoc in the field and garden.^ 
These hints we think proper to throw out in order to set the 
inquisitive and discerning to work. 
A good monography of worms would afford much entertainment and 
information at the same time, and would open a large and new field in 
natural history. Worms work most in the spring ; but by no means 
lie torpid in the dead months : are out every mild night in the winter, 
as any person may be convinced that will take the pains to examine 
his grass-plots with a candle ; are hermaphrodites, and much addicted 
to venery, and consequently very prolific. I am, &c. 
* We scarcely agree with. White's proposition here ; grass lands are very much 
benefited by frequent inundations. That worms are great fertilisers there 
can be no doubt, but at the same time in all cases they are not bene- 
ficial, as for instance in fiower-pots or boxes where plants are kept. In pasture 
lands, however, they do act mechanically, and their castings or excrement (earth- 
worm guano), is often very abundant, so much so as to mark the surface. 
Mr. Darwin applies the offices of worms geologically by their gradually covering 
the surface of land, and concealing loose stones, &c., which, however, may be 
also assisted by the decomposition of vegetable matter ; he goes so far as to say, 
" that every particle of earth in old pasture land has passed through the intestines 
of worms, and hence that in some instances, the term ' animal world, ' would be 
more appropriate than 'vegetable world.'" — {Proceed. Geol. Soc.) It is remarkable 
after a flood has covered the low pastures to observe the numbers of birds, 
crows, thrushes, herons, gulls, that assemble when the water recedes ; the drowned 
earth-worm is their chief prey, 
t Farmer Young, of Norton Farm, says, that this spring (177T) about four | 
acres of his wheat in one field was entirely destroyed by slugs, which swarmed on i 
the blades of corn, and devoured it as fast as it sprang. 
