From Horace Darwin 4 September 1880
Zermatt
Sep 4th. 1880
Worms.
In a bare place in fir woods rather higher up the valley than Zermatt (Zermatt is 5300 ft. above the sea) I found worm castings.1 Owing to the dryness of the ground and the powderiness of the castings it was difficult to be sure that they were wormcastings, but in some cases I was sure, but I should like to have seen some recent ones. They seemed to be in large quantities, but of this I could not be sure, as I could recognise them only in a few cases.
This was the only place in which I found any traces. I have looked carefully in the fields. I will observe more & especially after rain. The guide evidently knew earth worms & said they existed up as high as this2
Footnotes
Bibliography
Earthworms: The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1881.
Summary
Observations on earthworms.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12707
- From
- Horace Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Zermatt
- Source of text
- DAR 64.1: 34–5
- Physical description
- Amem 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12707,” accessed on 29 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12707.xml