From M. W. Tanner   12 December 1881

Dear Sir,

I have just read, with very great pleasure, your book on “Vegetable Mould & Earth-Worms”.¹ In connection with the large quantity of worms that live in a given space I think the following incident may interest you.²

Late in the summer of 1872, towards dusk, after a very violent storm of rain, I noticed a peculiar appearance in my Garden, at Blackheath; and on going out I found the ground covered with earthworms. I may say without exaggeration that a net-work of these creatures covered the lawn, gravel paths & flower-beds, over an area of 80 feet by 30. It was impossible to walk without treading on a great many, and all were lying motionless, with the posterior ends in their burrows, with the exception of those that quickly retreated on perceiving the vibration of our footsteps. The garden sloped slightly from the house, and the worms were more numerous at the higher part, diminishing towards the lower level. They remained till it was too dark for us to see them: by the morning all had disappeared. The same thing was repeated after another storm, a few weeks later, only on a smaller scale; and never occurred again during the three years I remained at Blackheath.

I worked constantly in my garden, so that had there been evidence of a large quantity of worms I must have noticed it; on the contrary, I should say that the castings were under the average, and the number of buried leaves small.

Believe me, dear Sir, | faithfully y^rs. | Mary W. Tanner