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From Ernst Haeckel1   12 July 1879

Jena

12 Juli 79

Hochverehrter theurer Freund!

Durch Ihre freundliche Zustimmung zu meinem Essay über “Freedom in Science etc” haben Sie mir eine grosse Freude bereitet und ich danke Ihnen herzlichst dafür.2 Unter den vielen zustimmenden Briefen, die ich darüber erhalten habe, ist mir der Ihrige natürlich der weitaus werthvollste, und die beste Compensation für die vielen heftigen Angriffe unserer Gegner.

Seit mehr als einem Jahre arbeite ich an dem Abschlusse meiner Monographie der Medusen, die noch in diesem Jahre fertig werden wird.3 Die Hälfte ist bereits gedruckt. Ich habe im allgemeinen Theile viele hübsche Resultate für die Descendenz- u Selections-Theorie erhalten, und hoffe, dass Sie damit zufrieden sein werden. Zu Weihnachten hoffe ich Ihnen das Werk senden zu können.4

Anfang August gehe ich (—direct via Hamburg—) nach Edinburgh, um Sir Wyville Thomson und Mr. John Murray zu besuchen und wegen Publication und Vollendung der Challenger-Radiolarien mit ihnen zu verhandeln.5 Diese Arbeit wird noch mehrere Jahre in Anspruch nehmen, da die Zahl der “novae species” (—zum Glück meist “malae”, wenig “bonae”—) sehr gross ist.6 Ich bin jetzt beim zweiten Tausend! 30 Tafeln sind gedruckt.

Auf der Rückreise von Edinburgh (Ende August) werde ich vielleicht London passiren; es ist aber noch unbestimmt, vielleicht muss ich direct nach Hamburg zurückreisen.7

Ich hoffe, dass Sie sich recht wohl befinden und mit Ihrer Gesundheit zufrieden sind.

Mit freundlichsten Grüssen an Sie und an Ihre liebe Familie | Ihr treu ergebener | Ernst Haeckel

Die VII. Edition der “Nat. Schöpf.” werden Sie erhalten haben.8

CD annotations

Top of first page: ‘Gigantic undertaking the Radiolaria— took *Incl Vienna [interl] over [illeg] year | health’9 pencil
1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
See letter to Ernst Haeckel, 29 April 1879. CD had read the English translation of Freie Wissenschaft und freie Lehre (Haeckel 1878), Freedom in science and teaching (Haeckel 1879c ). For more on the circumstances surrounding Haeckel’s address, see Correspondence vol. 26, letter to Karl von Scherzer, 1 April 1878 and n. 2.
3
Haeckel’s Das System der Medusen comprised two parts and an atlas, all published in 1879. It formed the first volume of his Monographie der Medusen (Haeckel 1879–81).
4
CD received a copy of the first volume of Haeckel 1879–81 in January 1880 (Correspondence vol. 28, letter to Ernst Haeckel, 21 January 1880).
5
Charles Wyville Thomson and John Murray (1841–1914) were the editors of the reports of the scientific results of the voyage of the oceanographic survey ship HMS Challenger. The Radiolaria, a diverse group of unicellular protozoans with siliceous skeletons, belong to the class Rhizopoda. Haeckel’s work on the Challenger Radiolaria was published in 1887 (Haeckel 1887).
6
Novae species: new species; malae, bonae: bad, good (Latin). In taxonomy, species malae or ‘bad species’ are those which fail to conform to the criteria normally used to delimit species. In his description of the Challenger Radiolaria, Haeckel proposed one of the earliest classification schemes for the group.
7
In the event, Haeckel did go via London and stayed at Down House from 5 to 6 September 1879 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
8
CD’s copy of the seventh edition of Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte (Haeckel 1879d) is in the Darwin Library–Down.
9
CD’s annotation is a note for his reply to Haeckel of 15 July 1879. Haeckel had visited Vienna in March 1878 as part of a lecture tour (Correspondence vol. 26, letter to Karl von Scherzer, 1 April 1878 and n. 1).

From Ernst Haeckel1   12 July 1879

Jena

12 July 79

Esteemed, dear friend!

Your kind approval of my essay on “Freedom in Science etc” has made me very happy and I thank you most cordially for it.2 Among the many favourable letters that I received regarding it, yours naturally is the most valuable to me by far, and the best compensation for the many brutal attacks by our opponents.

For over a year now have I been working to complete my monograph on the Medusae, which will only be finished this year.3 Half of it is already printed. In the general parts I obtained many fine results for the theory of descent and selection, and hope that you will be pleased with these. At Christmas I hope to be able to send you this work.4

At the beginning of August I will go (—directly via Hamburg—) to Edinburgh, to visit Sir Wyville Thomson and Mr John Murray and to negotiate with them on the publication and completion of the Challenger-Radiolaria.5 This work will still take several years, for the number of “novae species” (—fortunately most of them “malae”, few “bonae”) is very large.6 I am now working on the second thousand! 30 plates are printed.

On my return from Edinburgh (end of August) I might pass through London. This is not yet certain, however, and I might have to travel directly to Hamburg.7

I hope you are well enough and that you are content with your health.

My best wishes to you and your dear family | Yours faithfully | Ernst Haeckel

You should have received the VII. edition of the “Nat. Schöpf.”.8

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see Transcript.
2
See letter to Ernst Haeckel, 29 April 1879. CD had read the English translation of Freie Wissenschaft und freie Lehre (Haeckel 1878), Freedom in science and teaching (Haeckel 1879c ). For more on the circumstances surrounding Haeckel’s address, see Correspondence vol. 26, letter to Karl von Scherzer, 1 April 1878 and n. 2.
3
Haeckel’s Das System der Medusen comprised two parts and an atlas, all published in 1879. It formed the first volume of his Monographie der Medusen (Haeckel 1879–81).
4
CD received a copy of the first volume of Haeckel 1879–81 in January 1880 (Correspondence vol. 28, letter to Ernst Haeckel, 21 January 1880).
5
Charles Wyville Thomson and John Murray (1841–1914) were the editors of the reports of the scientific results of the voyage of the oceanographic survey ship HMS Challenger. The Radiolaria, a diverse group of unicellular protozoans with siliceous skeletons, belong to the class Rhizopoda. Haeckel’s work on the Challenger Radiolaria was published in 1887 (Haeckel 1887).
6
Novae species: new species; malae, bonae: bad, good (Latin). In taxonomy, species malae or ‘bad species’ are those which fail to conform to the criteria normally used to delimit species. In his description of the Challenger Radiolaria, Haeckel proposed one of the earliest classification schemes for the group.
7
In the event, Haeckel did go via London and stayed at Down House from 5 to 6 September 1879 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
8
CD’s copy of the seventh edition of Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte (Haeckel 1879d) is in the Darwin Library–Down.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12148,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12148