labours of earth-worms. He has, so to speak, domesticated them, with the result that he can now tell us what they do, why they do it, and how they do it. They are found almost everywhere. Their castings may be seen on the shoulder of lofty Schiehallon, in Perthshire, and on the top of the Nilgherri Mountains. Their numbers are prodigious. An average of fifty-three thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven are calculated to reside in a single acre. The earth-worm is nocturnal in its feeding and activity, and each individual is bisexual. It has a mouth and a most peculiar digestive apparatus; it breathes by the skin, but has no eyes, and is quite deaf. Slightly sensitive to light, it escapes danger by knowing and avoiding the day. Worms hide during a frost, and though insensible to atmospheric sounds or waves, they feel the vibrations of solids. They have no sense of smell, and yet display strong preference for certain food, such as cabbage and onion. Dr. Darwin pronounces them distinctly intelligent by reason of the way in which they make and line their burrows, and draw in fallen leaves to close them up. These leaves they prepare for digestion by a strange and unique alkaline secretion. Nothing can be more curious or convincing than the experiments by which Dr. Darwin made his tame worms display their mechanical intellect. He has counted many times the leaves which they drag in, observing whether it was by the foot-stalk, the tip or the middle, and he has found that the worm acts as an intelligent being would. With the speciallyshaped rhododendron leaf, which is of late as new a thing to them as Sanskrit Manuscripts have been to this century, they reverse their general practice. Fir-needles, which could not be drawn in by the apex, are always seized by the base. The same method was adopted when the tips of the needles were gummed together, or fastened with fine thread. In the case, however, of the petioles of the ash-tree, the pointed extremities were drawn in first, contrary to habit, and this because that portion serves for food. It was proved by furnishing them with triangles of greased paper, that the worm chose sixtytwo in a hundred times the easiest point by which to draw in the plug for its hole. Of course this might be mainly instinct, but when we see it applied to the leaves of foreign and unknown plants, and objects so peculiar, we must agree with Dr. Darwin that it looks like positive intelligence. Small as are the cerebral ganglia of the poor earth-worm, our brilliant author well reminds us that the tiny grey particle which makes the brain of a worker-ant is,

nevertheless, a mass of inherited knowledge and adaptative means. These humble creatures, then, have been proved, by their exquisitely patient methods, to perform an extraordinary amount of world-work, although their active period of toil is little more than half the year. On a down in Kent Dr. Darwin found the worms had thrown up digested soil amounting to 18 tons per acre. On the sandy soil of Leith Hill a similar investigation gave 16 tons as the annual result. These ejecta not only supply agriculture with the new vegetable earth, but, as has been said, they cover up stones and level the entire surface for traffic and use, besides helping forward immensely the breaking down of rocks and rough matter. Wherever the damp can come, the earth-worm will live and work, and Mr. Darwin shows how many Roman and ancient buildings they have preserved, both by the process of silent burial and by causing the subsidence of the structure. Our great naturalist does not hesitate to rank the worm with the glaciers, the rains, and the rivers in the task, eternally proceeding, of wearing down for the earth's service the rocks and stones. He calculates the actual weight of soil rendered serviceable for vegetable life in Great Britain alone by the worm since its appearance there at the enormous total of 329 billion tons. After these startling figures who again will despise the blind, deaf, and almost organless earthworm, which has, nevertheless, its life of eminent utility to lead, and which probably enjoys in some darkling and unimaginable way its obscure existence? For these lowly creatures, perhaps hitherto unregarded or disliked, there remains some reward and some higher development, for there is a sort of virtue among them. There are busy worms and lazy worms. Those which are domesticated by Dr. Darwin, having no fear of frost, became disgracefully indifferent to the duty of pulling leaves by the proper end into their burrows, and turning them into humus. Luxury, it seems, can demoralise even a lob-worm, and with this little moral we close. It is impossible to pay too warm a tribute of admiration either to the unparalleled gifts possessed by the illustrious philosopher who has made these observations, or to the unsuspected value and vast importance of creatures which hitherto seemed of almost less account than the dust wherein they dwell. (See " Public Opinion," Oct. 22nd, 1881.)

Ministers Whom I have Known.

(Continued from Vol. xlviii., page 281.)

DRS. NICHOLAS, RALEIGH, AND MELLOR.

WRITE the three names at the head of this paper not only because they were about the same age, were identified with the same religious connexion, and quitted the scene of mortal life within a few months of each other, but because they were fellow students at Lancashire Independent College, maintained a friendship with one another to the last; also because they were men of marked ability. The first, DR. NICHOLAS, was a countryman of mine, and born and reared in the same county. He was in stature thick set, and inclined to obeseity. His head was large, and, in later years, was stripped of nature's ornamental cover. His complexion was ruddy and clear, his features sharp, and of Shemetic type, his eyes small but piercing, his brow broad, and of a commanding character. He was of a somewhat retiring, secretive, and unassuming disposition. He preferred toiling in the study to the clap-trap work of "stumping" in public gatherings. Hence he was but little known, even to his own denomination, and passed away from the world with scarcely a record that such a man had ever lived. Yet he had lived and done some noble work. At the outset of his life he had done good pastoral service in his ministry at Stroud. For some years he was a theological tutor at the Presbyterian College, Carmarthen, and through his influence and efforts the English Independent Church in that town owes its existence. He was a literary man of no mean order. He was a contributor to the "Athenæum," and other high class serials. He did much to enrich the historical literature of his own country. His celebrated work entitled, "The Pedigree of the English People,” is one whose merits have been acknowledged by the best scholars of the age, have commanded for it a large circulation, and will ensure it a lasting place in the best libraries of thinking men By the way, on the production of this work he had to answer the charge of plagiarism in the courts of law. Mr. Osborne Morgan, to

whom he entrusted his cause, utterly failed in resisting the iniquitous charge, and judgment went against him. Conscious, however, of his own innocence, he appealed for a revocation of the judgment. He was his own counsel. He confronted his opponents in the open court, and pleaded, before one of the most learned of our judges, his own case. He won the day, reversed the previous judgment, and obtained the plaudits of the court. But perhaps his greatest work was that of establishing the University of Aberystwith, in Wales. Though the idea of that university originated with me, and with me only, he was the man who did the hard, practical work. Soon after I had written the first letter on the subject in the Cambria Daily Leader," urging my countrymen to the enterprise, I happened to meet him, and travel with him in the same carriage for some distance, when I endeavoured, and succeeded, in inspiring him with the idea, urged him to follow up my letter by letters of his own. This he did. His letters were afterwards collected and published in the form of a pamphlet, and put into circulation. This able publication excited considerable interest. After this, I wrote to him in order to persuade him to devote his time and energies entirely to the object. He came to London, and in my own library, in his. presence, I drew up two resolutions to be laid before a meeting to consider the subject. One referred to the desirability and feasibility of the scheme, and the other to the appointment of committee and secretaries. These we took to the meeting. I moved each one, both were unanimously carried. We succeeded in getting my old friend, the late Mr. S. Williams, M.P. for Lambeth (at whose political meetings in my neighbourhood I had spoken on his behalf), to preside on the occasion. He did so, and promised a contribution of £1,000. This was the origin of the University for Wales. But had it not been for the subsequent self-denying and persistent labours of Dr. Nicholas, it would have died in its birth. He canvassed every part of the country, and after years of toil collected, I think, somewhere about £20,000-anyhow, a sum that justified. the purchase of a splendid edifice in Aberystwith. He continued his interest and his labours until the building was inaugurated by a public meeting, the Lord Lieutenant of the county being in the chair, and at which he, myself, and Hugh Owen spoke. His speech

*See "Homilist," Vol. xl., page 457.

was a most masterly one.

Soon after this, alas, he found that he could not work in confidence and comfort with Mr. Hugh Owen and another on the council, and he withdrew.

I record all this in justice to his memory. Now the institution is established, and in all probability will be handsomely endowed by the Government, other men claim the honour of the work. One, I think, has been knighted for it, and others, in their political addresses to my countrymen, claim much of the credit.

Dr. Nicholas, during the last few years, lived in the neighbourhood of Kensington. He lived alone, he had neither wife nor relation with him. He often used to come and dine with me, with his friend Dr. Samuel Davidson, the renowned Biblical scholar. His illness was sudden and short, lasting only a few days. No sooner did I hear of it than I hastened to see him. I found him alone on his bed, and even the servant of the house in which he was lodging was so engrossed with other business that she could scarcely attend upon him. I urged him to allow me to send another doctor, but this he refused, having great faith in his medical attendant.

About two days after this he was a corpse. One of his fellowstudents, the Rev. Mr. Macbeth, of Hammersmith, with a noble generosity, undertook the charge of his funeral, which took place in Hammersmith Cemetery. Mr. Macbeth conducted the service. The Rev. Mr. Roberts, Dr. Raleigh, the Rev. Mr. Gwyn and myself, were, I think, all that were present. Thus closed the earthly career of a man worth knowing, distinguished by great attainments, and who rendered the highest service not only to his age but to posterity.*

Though my personal acquaintance with DR. RALEIGH was somewhat limited, I should scarcely feel justified in omitting his name in these papers. We exchanged pulpits once or twice. I heard him preach twice or thrice; on one occasion at the anniversary of Cheshunt College, when at the banquet I had the pleasure of moving a vote of thanks to him for his admirable discourse. The last time I saw him was at the grave of our mutual friend, Dr. Nicholas. We walked a little way together and talked freely, and I remember that he complained of the work of which the organisation of his denomination imposed upon him. He seemed to me, on that occasion, to be in bad health, sad, and depressed. His