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1、THEFORMATIONOFVEGETABLEMOULDTHROUGHTHEACTIONOFWORMSWITHOBSERVATIONSONTHEIRHABITS.TheFormationofVegetableMouldCharlesDarwin1THEFORMATIONOFVEGETABLEMOULDTHROUGHTHEACTIONOFWORMSWITHOBSERVATIONSONTHEIRHABITS.INTRODUCTION.Thesharewhichwormshavetakenintheformationofthelayerofveget
2、ablemould,whichcoversthewholesurfaceofthelandineverymoderatelyhumidcountry,isthesubjectofthepresentvolume.Thismouldisgenerallyofablackishcolourandafewinchesinthickness.Indifferentdistrictsitdiffersbutlittleinappearance,althoughitmayrestonvarioussubsoils.Theuniformfinenessoft
3、heparticlesofwhichitiscomposedisoneofitschiefcharacteristicfeatures;andthismaybewellobservedinanygravellycountry,wherearecently-ploughedfieldimmediatelyadjoinsonewhichhaslongremainedundisturbedforpasture,andwherethevegetablemouldisexposedonthesidesofaditchorhole.Thesubjectma
4、yappearaninsignificantone,butweshallseethatitpossessessomeinterest;andthemaxim"deminimisnoncuratlex,"doesnotapplytoscience.EvenEliedeBeaumont,whogenerallyundervaluessmallagenciesandtheiraccumulatedeffects,remarks:{1}"Lacouchetres-mincedelaterrevegetaleestunmonumentd'unehaute
5、antiquite,et,parlefaitdesapermanence,unobjetdigned'occuperlegeologue,etcapabledeluifournirdesremarquesinteressantes."Althoughthesuperficiallayerofvegetablemouldasawholenodoubtisofthehighestantiquity,yetinregardtoitspermanence,weshallhereafterseereasontobelievethatitscomponen
6、tparticlesareinmostcasesremovedatnotaveryslowrate,andarereplacedbyothersduetothedisintegrationoftheunderlyingmaterials.AsIwasledtokeepinmystudyduringmanymonthswormsinpotsfilledwithearth,Ibecameinterestedinthem,andwishedtolearnhowfartheyactedconsciously,andhowmuchmentalpowert
7、heydisplayed.Iwasthemoredesiroustolearnsomethingonthishead,asfewobservationsofthiskindhavebeenmade,asfarasIknow,onanimalssolowinthescaleoforganizationandsopoorlyprovidedwithsense-organs,asareearth-worms.Intheyear1837,ashortpaperwasreadbymebeforetheGeological2THEFORMATIONOFVE
8、GETABLEMOULDTHROUGHTHEACTIONOFWORMSWITHOBSERVATIONSONTHEIRHABITS.SocietyofL
