The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-22
A PLEA FOR THE USEFUL WORM.

Among all the useful societies that are
forming in the land for the protection OF
the helpless, no one has thought about a
society for protection of the industrious
and useful members Of lower animals, the
worms. DR.. Pinto tells us that but for
the angle-worm the earth would not be
robed in the spring with garments of the
loveliest green, nor would the angularities
and uneyenncS Of the earth's surface be
smoothed into even and unbroken lawns.
And yet no one has good word for
the worm that furnishes a meal served
alive to the vOraciOuS appetite of the birds.
We cxpend our sympathy upon the
fcathercd songsters, but We file no in
dictmcnts against the murderous birds
that feed upon live worms, that have their
part to play in the economy of nature and
that such an important part. DIR. Pinto
tells us that the worm that the robin red
breast fancies most, the angle-worm, is
worker most important to the beauty in
the varegatcd colors of spring. He says
without the industry Of the anglc-worm
1--WE should be without the green fields
and much that delights the eye and sus-
tans life" He adds that ION every acre
of fertile land more than ten tons of dry
earth annually pass through the bodies
of worms and are brought to the surface.
The whole superficial bed of vegetable
mould passes through their bodies in the
course of every few years. BY this means
fresh surfaces are continually exposed to
the carbOnic acid in the soil and to the
humus acids, the generation of which
probably FASTENED during the digestion of
the many half -decayed leaves which the
worm consumes"
Mr.. Darwin, the scientist, in his work
on evolution, says when we behold a
wide turf-covered expanse we should re-
member that it's smoothness, on which so
much of its beauty depends, is mainly due
to all its irregularities having been slowly
levclcd by worms" And yet, notwith-
standing, these vOicelcss underground
workers are the constant prey not only
of the birds of the air, but of the fol-
lowers of Isaac Walton and even higher
models Of humanity. Who knows but
today, San Jacinto day, when the heart of
| the Texan should be all aglow with
patriotic ardor, and when he should be
found with his fellow citizens celebrat-
ing the anniversary of the most important
day in the legends of the Lone Star state,
that some Texas disciple of Isaac Wal
ton and Darwin may be found in
! some shady nook on the banks of
Lake Mcdonald, and while cogita-
| ting on the exquisite adaptation of
| evolution to natures vast workshop, that
he may be almost unconsciously picking
from his gourd living, writing worm,
and more cruel than vivisection impalng
that worm on his hook and with its every
nerve quivering with pain the lone Wal
| tonian fisherman feeds the live worm to
the fishes in a deceptive feast If this
can be true, it is a double cruelty; first, to
| the worm, and then to the fishes that are
| invited to a feast of death. OF course, it
is fancy picture OF course, no man
with his soul alive to all the beauties of
Darwinism could thus cruelty carry double
murder in his heart on such holiday as
| this, but if, perchance, it may he true
how can we expect that even sympathy
! for anything that crecps upon the ground
can be cultivated by all the learning of
| the Darwinian theory. Alas. the Doom
| of the poor w0rm-the fishes are generally
| safe. however. from such doom.