From W. E. Darwin 6 February 1881
Ridgemount, | Basset, | Southampton.
Feb. 6th 1881 | Sunday
My dear Father,
I have just found the following numbers of Rhododendrons leaves buried— I have neglected a good many cases where there was great doubt whether it was the action of worms, but if anything I have erred on the side of including cases where they were buried apex downwards.1
I have found 36 drawn in stalk downwards to 17 with the apex downwards. or 36 to 18, if you include the enclosed one which I have considerable doubts about.
Where ever a leave is standing up and fairly buried in part, whether apex or stalk downwards, I have taken it to be the action of worms, though frequently there is no other sign of worms at that particular spot; as I suppose that the snow & rain in many cases would ⟨ ⟩ the earth close round the ⟨ ⟩ and leave no sign of ⟨ ⟩ worm hole; if this is no⟨t⟩ satisfactory I will try agai⟨n⟩ and only take cases wher⟨e⟩ there is other evidence of worms. I send you a bo⟨x⟩ containing most of those I extracted, so that you will see the sort of leaf—
When the leaf is fresh and not curled up it easies⟨t⟩ ⟨ ⟩ drawn by the stalk from ⟨the⟩ tapering of the leaf.
I collected a number of withe⟨red⟩ leaves some curled & some uncurled under the trees an⟨d⟩ sorted them in 3 lots
1. in which it would be easiest to draw in by the stalk
⟨2. th⟩ose in which it would be the same both ways
⟨3.⟩ those in which it would be easiest to draw in by the apex.
(1.) there were 153 leaves (2) — 21 " (3) — 63 "
(2) and (3) there is a larger proportion of leaves closely ⟨curle⟩d up than in (1)
⟨ ⟩ are almost all curled into two parallel pipes.
⟨I ca⟩n easily look again if there is any other point.
⟨I⟩ enclose a slip Mlle. Wild gave me showing an article in “La Nature” on your book.2 We were glad to get George’s note3
Your affect son | W. E Darwin
CD annotations
CD note:
Rhododendron – leaves in Burrows
by Base
=
by Apex
=4
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
Reports his observations on numbers of Rhododendron leaves found buried [by earthworms].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13039
- From
- William Erasmus Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Bassett
- Source of text
- DAR 162: 112/1
- Physical description
- ALS 6pp damaged †, CD note
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13039,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13039.xml