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From Ernst Haeckel1   19 October 1866

London | 8 Clarges Street | Piccadilly.

19 Oct. 66

Theurer, hochverehrter Herr!

Endlich geht einer meiner sehnlichsten Wünsche seiner Erfüllung entgegen, indem ich die Hoffnung habe, Sie in kurzer Zeit selbst sehen und sprechen zu können. Ich denke, dass Ich Ihnen vielleicht Sonntag (Sunday 21. Oct) meinen Besuch machen darf, und bitte Sie, mir mit wenigen Worten zu sagen, ob dieser Tag Ihnen angenehm ist, und zu welcher Stunde (at what o’clock) ich nach Down. Bromley kommen darf. Ich bin nur auf kurze Zeit in London, da ich mit dem nächsten Dampfschiffe nach Madeira und Teneriffa gehen werde, um dort den Winter zu bleiben und zoologische Untersuchungen anzustellen.2

Meine “generelle Morphologie der Organismen, begründet durch die von Charles Darwin reformirte Descendenz-Theorie” ist jetzt vollendet, und Sie werden dieselbe in den nächsten Wochen erhalten.3 Der erste Band umfasst die allgemeine Einleitung und die Grundzüge der generellen Anatomie; der zweite Band enthält eine allgemeine Darstellung der Descendenz- und Selections-Theorie, und die Grundzüge der generellen Entwickelungsgeschichte. Weiteres davon darf ich Ihnen vielleicht bald selbst mittheilen.

Hoffentlich treffe ich Sie in bestmöglicher Gesundheit an. Mit der vorzüglichsten Verehrung bleibe ich Ihr von ganzem Herzen ergebener | Ernst Haeckel

Footnotes

1
For a translation of this letter, see Correspondence vol.14, Appendix I.
2
Haeckel had travelled from Bonn to London at the beginning of October 1866. He travelled on to Lisbon, where he met two students who accompanied him to Madeira and Tenerife in November 1866. In December, they arrived at Lanzarote, where they spent three months studying hydrozoans and siphonophores. (Krauße 1987, pp. 76–7.)
3
The reference is to Haeckel 1866. CD’s annotated copy is in the Darwin Library–CUL (see Marginalia 1: 355–7). For Haeckel’s earlier discussions of Haeckel 1866, see Correspondence vols. 12 and 13.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Haeckel, Ernst. 1866. Generelle Morphologie der Organismen. Allgemeine Grundzüge der organischen Formen-Wissenschaft, mechanisch begründet durch die von Charles Darwin reformirte Descendenz-Theorie. 2 vols. Berlin: Georg Reimer.

Krauße, Erika. 1987. Ernst Haeckel. 2d edition. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner.

Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.

Translation

From Ernst Haeckel1   19 October 1866

8 Clarges Street Piccadilly London

19 Oct. 1866

Dear, most honoured Sir!

At last one of my fondest wishes is to be fulfilled. I hope to be able to meet and talk to you shortly. I think that I could perhaps visit you Sunday (Sunday 21 Oct), and ask you to tell me briefly if this day suits you and at what time (at what o’clock) I may come to Down, Bromley. I am only in London for a short time, as I will be going on the next steamship to Madeira and Tenerife where I will stay the winter and conduct zoological research.2

My “generelle Morphologie der Organismen, based on Darwin’s reformed theory of descent” is now finished and you will receive it in the next couple of weeks.3 Volume one includes a general introduction and the elements of general anatomy. Volume two contains a general description of descent and selection theory and the fundamentals of general developmental history. I may soon, perhaps, tell you more about it in person.

Hopefully I will find you in the best possible health. With the most excellent admiration I remain yours with wholehearted devotion | Ernst Haeckel

Footnotes

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see pp. 353–4.
2
Haeckel had travelled from Bonn to London at the beginning of October 1866. He travelled on to Lisbon, where he met two students who accompanied him to Madeira and Tenerife in November 1866. In December, they arrived at Lanzarote, where they spent three months studying hydrozoans and siphonophores. (Krauße 1987, pp. 76–7.)
3
The reference is to Haeckel 1866. CD’s annotated copy is in the Darwin Library–CUL (see Marginalia 1: 355–7). For Haeckel’s earlier discussions of Haeckel 1866, see Correspondence vols. 12 and 13.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Haeckel, Ernst. 1866. Generelle Morphologie der Organismen. Allgemeine Grundzüge der organischen Formen-Wissenschaft, mechanisch begründet durch die von Charles Darwin reformirte Descendenz-Theorie. 2 vols. Berlin: Georg Reimer.

Krauße, Erika. 1987. Ernst Haeckel. 2d edition. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner.

Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.

Summary

Will visit CD on Sunday, 21 October.

Will spend winter in research on Madeira and Tenerife.

CD will soon receive copy of Generelle Morphologie.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-5248
From
Ernst Philipp August (Ernst) Haeckel
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
London, Clarges St, 8
Source of text
DAR 166: 43
Physical description
ALS 3pp (German)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5248,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5248.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 14

letter

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