THE BOOK OF THE EARTHWORM

In 1881, Darwin published a seminal volume based on 40 years of painstaking study. A bestseller, it shifted more copies than any of his other works, surprising even the author, who told a friend: “My book has been received with almost laughable enthusiasm.” It was about earthworms.

This fabulous anecdote about The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms, with Observations

on Their Habits (a title no publisher would allow today) is one of many wonderful wormy tales unearthed by Coulthard, a smallholder and author from North Yorkshire. Her smart little book is aimed squarely at the gift market, with its many headings and boxes designed for dipping in, enlivened by delightfully retro linocutstyle illustrations.

Some myths are quickly put to rest: no, earthworms can’t regrow if cut in half (they will only replace part of the tail), and no, they’re not completely blind (their skin is covered in light receptors). You can also eat them, though Coulthard counsels against it; apparently, a single common earthworm has the calorific content of two Brussels sprouts.

There’s plenty of country lore too, and entertaining summaries of scientific studies – for example, we learn that worms can make friends and in times of crisis will take risks. They may also – though researchers disagree on this – experience pain, so perhaps these engineers of the earth deserve a little more respect.

Ben Hoare, naturalist and author