[199]

[in Darwin's hand in blue crayon:] (Distribution) Not one seed came up – so nothing.

July 9 1866

An old pollard beech about 9ft in circumference with two oval holes on the crown 5 inches in diam. & an oblique hole of 10 inches in diam. beneath these holes a large cavity with lateral ramifications extending down 30 inches beneath the lowest entrance hole. These entrance holes were surrounded by bark as if they might have closed up. The cavity filled with black earth like peat, formed partly of decayed wood but chiefly I believe by leaves & twigs washed & blown in. The stock dove also had built within & squirrels or dormice had brought in nuts. The crown had recently been

[199v]

Sawn off cutting through the black earth which was compact. I removed two inches of the surface & then collected a quantity at a depth of from 14 to 18 inches beneath the lower entrance & which had been covered by 8 or 10 inches of black earth. Very many decayed Beech-nuts.

[remainder in Darwin's hand:]

July 11 I now find I may say that the Earth which I collected was covered by compact layer of minimum 9 inches at maximum of 18 inches.—

I this day collected some Earth from a lateral compartment, which was covered by minimum 13 inches & by maximum of 19 inches of such Earth, now

[200]

this Earth from its excessively decayed & disintegrated condition must have taken many years to form & collect things to such holes.— (In Gärtner Bastard see my Index on Var. good discussion on vitality of seeds.)

[200v]

July 23d. Lewis had Elm tree, blown down — in fork between two great limbs, some ways up, a narrow oval hole 2 3/4 inches in longer diameter, surrounded by bark, & which wd. certainly have ultimately grown up.— This little hole about 13 ft above the ground led into cavity a foot or two deep nearly filled with black Earth & some small stones resting on solid but decayed wood. There was, however, a small open, or unfilled channel leading up great length in one of the two great limbs, but whether open at top I could not decide. This black Earth certainly might have been transported.