RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1877].08.24. What I found yesterday was bits of earth & concrete trodded firmly down [Earthworm research notes]. CUL-DAR64.2.52. Edited by John van Wyhe (The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Prepared and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2025. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR64 contains research materials for Earthworms.
52
Abinger (Worms)
24th [August 1877]
What I found yesterday was bits of earth & concretetroddedfirmly down were slightly cracked & rancid & on picking off the earth — I found worm-holes — So that it is certain that the concrete & tiles were penetrated by at least 25 holes, but there were only a few castings & I now suspect that after the surface earth was removed, the day being hot, the air in the holes expanded and raised the crust & not as I had imagined that the worms had raised the crust.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 July, 2025