My dear Sir.

In a lecture I am about to give on the Threshold of Evolution, in which I dispute, in toto. Haeckel’s statements concerning the “Protista”, I am anxious to show that a statement put forward by him & others—that ‘Spontaneous generation, as necessary to the completeness of Evolution as a doctrine”—has nowhere received your sanction.¹

Should you not consider the question an objectionable one, would you kindly inform me if my interpretation of your published views is, to this extent, a correct one? I would not, of course, think of mentioning that I had your authority for denying the statement, or that I would have even addressed you at all on the point without your express sanction.

It has alwas been my opinion that you had intentionally left the question of the ‘Origin of Life’ uncanvassed as being ‘ultra vires’ in the present state of our knowledge, & dealt only with the manner of its Succession.²

I restrict myself, in my small way, to the attempt to prove, as I believe I shall be able to do beyond reach of doubt, that the Protista furnish no trustworthy evidence, one way or the other; & that their very existence, as an independent group of organisms, is a fiction, resulting from hasty & imperfect observation.

I will with your permission send you a copy of my lecture as soon as it is in print.³

Hoping, meanwhile, that you will excuse me for troubling you under the circumstances, | I remain | Yours faithfully | G. C. Wallich.