The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits

E-172: John Murray. Very Good. 1883. Hardcover. Leather. 8vo. John Murray. 1883. Vii, 328 pgs. 1 pgs of ads. Illustrated with Black and White Diagrams. Nine Thousand. Bound in full brown leather with gilt decoration present to the boards. With gilt titles and raised bands present to the spine. Marbled endpapers. Gilt dentelles. No ownership marks present. Boards have light wear to the extremities. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. Published in 1883, The Formation Of Vegetable Mould, Through The Action of Worms covers, in depth, the important role of the earthworm on the constantly changing topsoil of the earth. The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits (sometimes shortened to Worms) is an 1881 book by Charles Darwin on earthworms. It was his last scientific book, and was published shortly before his death (see Darwin from Insectivorous Plants to Worms). Exploring earthworm behaviour and ecology, it continued the theme common throughout his work that gradual changes over long periods of time can lead to large and sometimes surprising consequences. It was the first significant work on soil bioturbation, although that term was not used by Darwin (it first appeared in the soil and geomorphic literature one hundred years later). E-172; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 328 pages .