The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms: With Observations on Their HabitsDarwin, Charles
Science
The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms: With Observations on Their Habits
Darwin, Charles
Earthworms; Humification; Soils
_Triangles of paper_.—Elongated triangles were cut out of moderately
stiff writing-paper, which was rubbed with raw fat on both sides, so as
to prevent their becoming excessively limp when exposed at night to rain
and dew. The sides of all the triangles were three inches in length,
with the bases of 120 one inch, and of the other 183 half an inch in
length. These latter triangles were very narrow or much acuminated. {79}
As a check on the observations presently to be given, similar triangles
in a damp state were seized by a very narrow pair of pincers at different
points and at all inclinations with reference to the margins, and were
then drawn into a short tube of the diameter of a worm-burrow. If seized
by the apex, the triangle was drawn straight into the tube, with its
margins infolded; if seized at some little distance from the apex, for
instance at half an inch, this much was doubled back within the tube. So
it was with the base and basal angles, though in this case the triangles
offered, as might have been expected, much more resistance to being drawn
in. If seized near the middle the triangle was doubled up, with the apex
and base left sticking out of the tube. As the sides of the triangles
were three inches in length, the result of their being drawn into a tube
or into a burrow in different ways, may be conveniently divided into
three groups: those drawn in by the apex or within an inch of it; those
drawn in by the base or within an inch of it; and those drawn in by any
point in the middle inch.
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