Sir:

Merely premising that, as you will doubtless readily discover, my knowledge of scientific matters is of the most superficial character, I beg to submit for your perusal the following account of what appeared to me to be a remarkable incident in natural history; and I am sure you will appreciate the spirit in which this communication is written, even though the subject-matter proves, as it probably will, to be of not the slightest scientific value. I have read and tried to comprehend, to the best of my limited understanding, your work on the “Origin of Species”,¹ as also works of a similar character by other eminent naturalists, but I failed to discover anything that seemed to me at all analogous to what I will now proceed to relate as briefly as possible:

Two years ago, I placed a barrel containing wheat in my poultry house, and let it remain there all winter, but as the fowls could not conveniently reach the grain when the barrel was half emptied, it was my custom at those times to refill it. Hence the grain in the under half of the barrel remained unchanged during the winter. The barrel itself was an ordinary spirit barrel, but had been used for a couple of years prior to the time I speak of, as a water barrel. In March, a leak in the roof permitted the snow-water to run through, and into the barrel, the ⁠⟨⁠grain⁠⟩⁠ thus becoming saturated, but to this I paid no attention. In May I had occasion to empty the barrel, and then found that a considerable portion of the unchanged wheat had become very much damaged. I also observed that quite a number of grains had sprouted, and had taken root in the small accumulation of dust at the bung hole and around the circumference of the bottom of the barrel. These grains adhered to their position. As the wood of the barrel was much shrunken through lack of moisture, I placed it beside the well, and filled it with water, intending to let it remain so for a few days only, but being called away from home for a week or two, it remained as I had placed it,—in the open sun it so chanced,—until my return, when I was somewhat surprised to find the water in the barrel alive with small white worms. An examination revealed the, to ⁠⟨⁠me,⁠⟩⁠ astounding fact that these worms had proceede⁠⟨⁠d⁠⟩⁠ from the grains of wheat. At the time of putting the water in the barrel, the sprouts on most of the wheat grains were about an inch long.

These sprouts were now developed into tails, and the little worms, where the wheat grains happened to be thickly clustered, were knotted together by these tails in the most remarkable manner. The roots of the plants had developed into perfect legs, four in number, located in a bunch just back of the head. The eyes being black, were perfectly distinct on the white body. Each worm was about a quarter of an inch long, and had the power of contracting and extending its body to a considerable degree. I observed the worms in every stage of developmen⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠, and purposely let the barrel remain as it was for a month or two, when it was accidentally upset, and my investigation thus abruptly closed.

I have been induced to make this communication from having pondered you⁠⟨⁠r⁠⟩⁠ admission (Origin of Species, 425) that plants and animals may possibly have sprung from one original form.²

I feel I owe you an apology for having intruded, I dare say very foolishly, on your time and attention, | Believe me, Very Respectfully yours, | J. F. Galbraith