Thanks CD for his offer. Suggests it be used to start a fund to pay travel expenses of English naturalists who want to come to the Station.
Thanks CD for his offer. Suggests it be used to start a fund to pay travel expenses of English naturalists who want to come to the Station.
Thanks CD for his cheque for £100. Has told Secretary of BAAS Committee [for the Station], so that he may report it. [See O. J. R. Howarth, The British Association (1931), pp. 196–7.]
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.
Birthday congratulations from the Naples Zoological Station. A new physiological department will be constructed. Describes work in progress at the Station.
Sends his paper on teleosteans.
Heard R. Owen read a paper at York [meeting of BAAS]. Owen had views similar to AD’s, but seemed not to be aware of work of others.
Pleased by CD’s letter; his object was to apply CD’s principles to the reform of zoology. When this is done, it is wonderful to see how improved one’s understanding of the Crustacea (Arthropoda) becomes. Cites examples.
He has gone through the whole embryology of the Crustacea and has arrived at a pretty well-established genealogy of the whole class; has even tried to write a history of the whole tribe. Finds he cannot adopt the old separation of Orders in the Class; the limits between them are indistinct.
Would like to study embryology of Limulus. Asks CD’s help in obtaining a female specimen.
Outlines his proposal to establish a marine zoological station.
Thanks CD for his support and for his cautionary advice.
Will send his work on embryology of arthropods as soon as it is finished [Bau und Entwicklung der Arthropoden (1870)].
Thanks CD for Variation.
From his work on insect embryology he sees a great parallelism between insect and vertebrate embryology.
The zoological station is slowly advancing.
Reports on the international support he has obtained for the zoological station [see 7038]. Asks CD whether he will serve on a board of naturalists who would receive an annual report on the station.
Huxley is now convinced by AD’s views on homologies of the nervous system of arthropods, annelids, and vertebrates. Kovalevsky takes the same line but does not go far enough.
AD is sorry CD thinks publication of Descent a mistake. The excitement shows it was necessary for someone to speak plainly.
His great difficulties (Italian indolence, dishonesty, hatred) in establishing zoological station. Can at last start construction.
Has reported on the Naples Zoological Station to BAAS meeting at Brighton. Hopes to open it in January. Is at work building up the library by contributions from publishers and naturalists.
Deplores Wallace’s "drifting away" and his association with such men as H. C. Bastian.
Disbelieves in ascidians as our ancestors. Has a substitute he is sure will please CD.
Will call on CD next year, when he will have worked out the embryology of Amphioxus; he believes it is not primitive but a degenerate form of fish. He believes the true ancestors of vertebrates are annelids.
Is amazed at Expression. Like CD’s former works, it contains the material and principles of a new science.
The Zoological Station is making good progress – now has a fine building. Hopes for a stable income from contributions of various governments.
The Naples Zoological Station and its library are growing fast. His life is a constant battle with the municipality, but has managed to make a little progress on vertebrate ancestry and morphology. His views get further away from what is generally accepted.
News of Naples Zoological Station developments.
His remarks on physiology in the Academy were aimed at Prof. Ludwig and his school.
The usual "exact" methods in experimental physiology want only a little pushing to put an end to superstition.
Recounts how he had worked out the explanation of Rhizocephala morphology via the Anelasma – an example of both the power of inheritance and the power of genealogical investigation. R. Kossman’s work has now confirmed AD’s explanation.
Birthday greetings.
His gratitude for CD’s gift. An account of his difficulties with the Zoological Station and his health.
F. M. Balfour has told him that CD would like to see the question of complemental males in cirripedes studied again. AD would like to enter the field and to study the whole morphological development of cirripedes.
Describes the interest in embryological work in Russia and Germany.
Thanks to CD’s help Zoological Station has passed a crisis and is now flourishing.
Is writing pamphlet on "the origin of vertebrates and the principle of succession of functions" [see 9991 and 10003]. It is likely CD will not be pleased with it, but he thinks he must now, after seven years, bring it out. Seeks to open the way for a new series of theoretical questions.