From Anton Dohrn 18 February 1881
Stazione Zoologica | di | Napoli
18th. February 1881.
Dear Mr. Darwin!
This time I am past date, and I know hardly whether you will not think me impertinent with my congratulations, your birthday being passed since some days already.1 But quite apart from the general reverence I never can nor will forget the day, when I was thoroughly down with the struggle here, out of strength and out of money, and when your generous gift and so exceedingly kind letter came to help me up again.2 It lasted some years longer to be afloat with the Zoological Station,—but it is afloat, and whilst there are again working Twenty one Naturalists at present, and others being announced, the German Government has continued the new subvention bestowed on the Station, and all the existing contracts with Governments have been prolonged so that more and more the Zoological Station with its curious international constitution becomes a matter of course.3 In fact we are so far out of trouble, that I am able to pay back in small instalments those sums which kindly and generously were lent to me, to assist me in building the Station and keeping it going till it might have gathered strength enough to live on its own account.
I have now to ask you a great favour, Mr. Darwin. I saw from the list of Messrs Williams & Norgate, that you have joined the Subscription for the “Fauna & Flora of the Gulf of Naples.” I hope you will honour us by accepting this and our other Publications once for ever as a small token of my gratitude if not as the hommage due to you, who gave a new turn to the thought of mankind and threw open lines of research for centuries to come, wherein among all the others also the Zoolog. Station moves and finds over rich harvest.4
I hope you will approve of our last enterprize, the Zoologische Jahresbericht, for which Prof. Carus acts as Editor. It will be my endeavour to persuade your country men to an amalgamation of their Zoological Record and our Jahresbericht.5 I am quite ready to use as well the English as the French and German language for publication,—but the chief thing, I believe, ought to be, to get the book as thoroughly complete and as punctually out as possible,—which is a question of organisation and money,—and both will be easier got, if there is unity in the productive forces.
I am very glad, this year have come to the Zool. Station three Englishmen; last year, there was none.6 There are negotiations pending with the States,—but I doubt, whether they will lead to a successful issue.— —7
Let me finish these lines with the sincerest wishes for your health, dear Mr. Darwin, and thank me for the privilege, in which you permit me to indulge, in sending mine and the congratulations of my fellow-workers in the Zool. Station to your birthday.
With kindest regards to Mrs. Darwin and Your Sons | believe me, dear Mr. Darwin | Yours | respectful | Anton Dohrn
Footnotes
Bibliography
Heuss, Theodor. 1991. Anton Dohrn: a life for science. Translated from the German by Liselotte Dieckmann. Berlin and New York: Springer Verlag.
Stazione zoologica di Napoli. 1880–1921. Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel und der angrenzenden Meeres-Abschnitte. 35 vols. Leipzig: W. Engelmann. Berlin: R. Friedländer & Sohn.
Summary
Belated birthday greetings
and reminiscences of CD’s help to the Station, which continues to prosper. A recent innovation is the establishment of the Zoologische Jahresbericht edited by J. V. Carus.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13056
- From
- Felix Anton (Anton) Dohrn
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli
- Source of text
- DAR 162: 221
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13056,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13056.xml