From Wilhelm Breitenbach1   [before 20 June 1881]2

Porto Alegre, Prov. Rio Grande | do Sul, | Brazil.

Verehrtester Herr Darwin!

Im August vorigen Jahres schrieb ich Ihnen, dass ich wahrscheinlich in kurzer Zeit nach Brasilien reisen würde.3 Nun, seit 3 Monaten bin ich denn glücklich hier in Porto Alegre, der Hauptstadt der Provinz Rio Grande do Sul. Ich bin nicht erst nach Blumenau zu Herrn Dr. Fritz Müller gegangen, weil, wie Sie wol wissen, die Colonie Blumenau durch eine Überschwemmung fast vollständig vernichtet worden ist.4 Später aber werde ich nach Blumenau gehen.

Ich habe hier in Porto Alegre schon fleissig gesammelt, meistens Insecten und Pflanzen. Von Insecten möchte ich zuerst eingehend die Schlupfwespen (Ichneumoniden) und Orthopteren vornehmen. Besonders zahlreich sind hier Stabheuschrecken (Familie der Phasmidae); dieselben sind in sehr zahlreichen Formen vertreten, so dass ich schon jetzt ihre Entstehung aus gewöhnlichen, normal gebauten Formen verfolgen kann. Auch Blattheuschrecken habe ich schon eine ziemliche Anzahl gefangen.5 Leider bin ich aber noch so dürftig mit Literatur versehen, dass ich vor der Hand noch nicht viel anfangen kann; auch weiss ich nicht, wo ich die betreffende Literatur bekommen soll. Noch schlimmer ist es mit botanischen Werken; denn die Flora brasiliensis von Martius6 ist so theuer, dass ich sie mir aus eigenen Mitteln nicht anschaffen kann. Fritz Müller hat auch fast gar Nichts, und das Meiste was er hatte, ist bei der Überschwemmung zu Grunde gegangen. Mehrere Fälle von Mimicry habe ich auch schon beobachtet.

Fritz Müller schrieb mir, ich möchte meine Aufmerksamkeit den bekannten Wechselbeziehungen zwischen Ameisen und Pflanzen zuwenden; leider aber sind mir derartige Fälle noch nicht zu Gesicht gekommen.7 Das Arbeitsfeld meines verehrten Lehrers H. Müller werde ich selbstverständlich nach Kräften zu bearbeiten suchen. Haben Sie schon das neue Werk von H. Müller gelesen?8 Ich habe es leider noch nicht erhalten. Auch würde ich mich sehr freuen, Ihr neues Buch über Bewegung der Pflanzen studieren zu können; ich hörte neulich, es sei schon erschienen.9

Seit einiger Zeit wohnt hier in der Nähe Herr Dr. H. v. Ihering, der Verfasser des Werkes über das Nervensystem der Mollusken.10 Ich habe ihn noch nicht gesprochen; er arbeitet fleissig über Wirbelthiere und Molluscen. In der hiesigen “deutschen Zeitung” veröffentliche ich seit einiger Zeit auf Wunsch des Herausgebers, Herrn von Koseritz, populäre Aufsätze über Entwicklungslehre, wol die ersten in Brasilien. Wenn, Sie wünschen, kann ich Ihnen dieselben nach Beendigung in einem Exemplar zusenden.11 Die hiesigen Jesuiten sind gerade nicht sehr erbaut über mein Hiersein und wünschen mich lieber weg.12

Meine kleine Skizze im “Kosmos” über die Entstehung der geschlechtlichen Fortpflanzung haben Sie wol von meinem Papa zugeschickt erhalten.13 In einiger Zeit werden Sie dann auch eine weitere in der “Jenaischen Zeitschrift für Naturwissenschaft” erscheinende Arbeit über Schmetterlingsrüssel von mir erhalten.14

Ich gedenke eine ziemlich lange Reihe von Jahren in Brasilien zu bleiben und glaube in dieser Zeit einiges zum Wol unserer Wissenschaft beitragen zu helfen.15 Wenn Sie gestatten, werde ich Ihnen dann und wann, wenn ich Etwas besonderes Interessante finde, Mittheilung machen.

Bitte, grüssen Sie gefälligst Ihren Herrn Sohn Francis16 bestens von mir.

Mit vorzüglichster Hochachtung | bin ich Ihr ergebenster | Dr. Wilhelm Breitenbach

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘Melastomas—ants. | Fertilisation.— | my book. | Paper on the steps by which Sexual propagation [reached].— | I am glad to see that you are attending to the role of [nat] [2 words illeg] in | Seeds of any Dimorphous Plants to grow— | Frank’ ink
1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Wilhelm Breitenbach, 20 [June] 1881.
3
The letter has not been found, but see Correspondence vol. 28, letter to Wilhelm Breitenbach, 21 September 1880.
4
Rio Grande do Sul was the southernmost province of Brazil; the Blumenau colony was in the adjacent Santa Catarina province, to the north. German immigration in Brazil was mostly to these two provinces and to São Paolo (Roche 1959, p. 1). Fritz Müller’s brother Hermann had told CD that the Itajahy river (now called Itajaí Açu) had risen almost fifteen metres above its normal level, but that most of Fritz’s books and equipment had been saved (Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Hermann Müller, 30 November 1880).
5
The Ichneumonidae family in the order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) includes ichneumon wasps; the order Orthoptera includes grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. The Phasmidae family (a synonym of Phasmatidae) includes walking sticks; it is in the order Phasmida, which also includes walking leaves or leaf insects (family Phylliidae). True leaf insects are restricted to South Asia and Australia, but Breitenbach may have collected some forms of leaf-mimicking katydids (subfamily Pterochrozinae in the family Tettigoniidae) that are native to South America.
6
Several volumes of Karl Friedrich Philipp von Martius’s work, Martius ed. 1840–1906, had been published.
7
Müller himself had studied the relationship between ants of the genus Azteca and plants of the genus Cecropia (embauba or trumpet trees; see Correspondence vol. 22, letter from Fritz Müller, 20 April [1874]). See also F. Müller 1876 and F. Müller 1880.
8
Breitenbach had been a student of Herman Müller at the Realschule in Lippstadt, where Müller taught natural sciences. Müller’s Alpenblumen, ihre Befruchtung durch Insekten: und ihre Anpassungen an dieselben (Alpine flowers, their fertilisation through insect agency and adaptations for this; H. Müller 1881a) had been published earlier in the year. CD had received a copy in November 1880 (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Hermann Müller, 27 November 1880).
9
Movement in plants was published on 6 November 1880 (Freeman 1977); the German translation appeared in 1881 (Carus trans. 1881).
10
Hermann von Ihering lived in Taquara do Mundo Novo (now Taquara), seventy-two kilometres from Porto Allegre. His Vergleichende Anatomie des Nervensystemes und Phylogenie der Mollusken (Comparative anatomy of the nervous system and phylogeny of molluscs; Ihering 1877) was published in 1877.
11
Deutsche Zeitung, a fortnightly newspaper, was founded in Porto Allegre in 1861; Karl von Koseritz became its editor-in-chief in 1864 (Roche 1959, p. 500; Gehse 1931, p. 135ff.). No copies of Breitenbach’s articles have been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL.
12
Koseritz had made the church and above all the Jesuits the target of his polemics for many years. The Jesuits had countered these attacks by founding the Deutsche Volksblatt, also a fortnightly newspaper, which by 1881 was edited in the Jesuit College of São Leopoldo (Gehse 1931, pp. 43, 76).
13
Breitenbach’s article ‘Die Entstehung der geschlechtlichen Fortpflanzung. Eine phylogenetische Studie’ (The origin of sexual reproduction. A phylogenetic study; Breitenbach 1881a) was published in Kosmos, January 1881. No separate copy of the article has been found in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL, but CD subscribed to the journal, and his copy is in the collection of unbound journals in the Darwin Archive–CUL. Breitenbach’s father was also called Wilhelm Breitenbach.
14
‘Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Baues der Schmetterlings-Rüssel’ (Contributions to the understanding of the structure of the butterfly proboscis; Breitenbach 1881b) was published on 25 January 1881. No copy has been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL.
15
In the event, Breitenbach returned to Germany in 1883 (Nöthlich 2009).

From Wilhelm Breitenbach1   [before 20 June 1881]2

Porto Alegre, Prov. Rio Grande | do Sul, | Brazil.

Most esteemed Mr Darwin!

In August last year I wrote you that I would probably be travelling to Brazil shortly.3 Now, for 3 months I have been happily here in Porto Alegre, the capital of the province of Rio Grande do Sul. I did not first go to Blumenau to Dr Fritz Müller because, as you probably know, the colony of Blumenau was almost completely destroyed by a flood.4 Later on, however, I shall go to Blumenau.

Here in Porto Alegre I have been busy collecting, mostly insects and plants. Of the insects, I am planning to take on in detail first of all parasitical Hymenoptera (Ichneumonidae) and Orthoptera. The stick-insects (family of the Phasmidae) are particularly numerous here; they are represented in a great multitude of forms, so that by now I can already trace their origin in common, normally built forms. I also collected quite a number of walking leaves.5 Unfortunately, however, I am still so poorly equipped with literature that I can not do much for the time being; nor do I know how to come by the relevant literature. It is even worse with botanical works, for the Flora brasiliensis by Martius6 is so expensive that I am unable to afford it from my own means. Fritz Müller has hardly anything either, and most of what he had was destroyed in the flood. I also observed several cases of mimicry.

Fritz Müller wrote me that I might turn my attention to the well-known reciprocal relationships between ants and plants; but unfortunately I have not come across such cases so far.7 Of course I will endeavour to work on the field of research of my venerated teacher H. Müller to the best of my powers. Have you read the latest work by H. Müller yet?8 Unfortunately I have not yet received it. I would also very much like to be able to study your new book on the movement of plants; I heard lately that it has already appeared.9

For some time Dr H. v. Ihering, the author of the work on the nervous system of molluscs, has been living in the area.10 I have not yet spoken to him; he is busily working on vertebrates and molluscs. In the local “Deutsche Zeitung” I have for some time been publishing, at the request of the editor, Mr von Koseritz, popular articles on the theory of evolution, probably the first in Brazil. If you would like me to, I could send you a copy of these on completion.11 The local Jesuits are not exactly enthusiastic about my being here and wish I were gone.12

You will probably have received my little sketch in “Kosmos” on the origin of sexual reproduction sent by my papa.13 Then in a while you will also receive another work on the butterfly proboscis, published in the “Jenaische Zeitschrift für Naturwissenschaft”.14

I am thinking of staying in Brazil for quite a number of years and hope to help contribute something to the good of our science.15 If you allow me, I shall report to you now and then, when I come across something particularly interesting.

Please kindly pass on my best wishes to your son Francis.16

With the greatest respect | I remain Your most devoted | Dr Wilhelm Breitenbach.

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see Transcript.
2
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Wilhelm Breitenbach, 20 [June] 1881.
3
The letter has not been found, but see Correspondence vol. 28, letter to Wilhelm Breitenbach, 21 September 1880.
4
Rio Grande do Sul was the southernmost province of Brazil; the Blumenau colony was in the adjacent Santa Catarina province, to the north. German immigration in Brazil was mostly to these two provinces and to São Paolo (Roche 1959, p. 1). Fritz Müller’s brother Hermann had told CD that the Itajahy river (now called Itajaí Açu) had risen almost fifteen metres above its normal level, but that most of Fritz’s books and equipment had been saved (Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Hermann Müller, 30 November 1880).
5
The Ichneumonidae family in the order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) includes ichneumon wasps; the order Orthoptera includes grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. The Phasmidae family (a synonym of Phasmatidae) includes walking sticks; it is in the order Phasmida, which also includes walking leaves or leaf insects (family Phylliidae). True leaf insects are restricted to South Asia and Australia, but Breitenbach may have collected some forms of leaf-mimicking katydids (subfamily Pterochrozinae in the family Tettigoniidae) that are native to South America.
6
Several volumes of Karl Friedrich Philipp von Martius’s work, Martius ed. 1840–1906, had been published.
7
Müller himself had studied the relationship between ants of the genus Azteca and plants of the genus Cecropia (embauba or trumpet trees; see Correspondence vol. 22, letter from Fritz Müller, 20 April [1874]). See also F. Müller 1876 and F. Müller 1880.
8
Breitenbach had been a student of Herman Müller at the Realschule in Lippstadt, where Müller taught natural sciences. Müller’s Alpenblumen, ihre Befruchtung durch Insekten: und ihre Anpassungen an dieselben (Alpine flowers, their fertilisation through insect agency and adaptations for this; H. Müller 1881a) had been published earlier in the year. CD had received a copy in November 1880 (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Hermann Müller, 27 November 1880).
9
Movement in plants was published on 6 November 1880 (Freeman 1977); the German translation appeared in 1881 (Carus trans. 1881).
10
Hermann von Ihering lived in Taquara do Mundo Novo (now Taquara), seventy-two kilometres from Porto Allegre. His Vergleichende Anatomie des Nervensystemes und Phylogenie der Mollusken (Comparative anatomy of the nervous system and phylogeny of molluscs; Ihering 1877) was published in 1877.
11
Deutsche Zeitung, a fortnightly newspaper, was founded in Porto Allegre in 1861; Karl von Koseritz became its editor-in-chief in 1864 (Roche 1959, p. 500; Gehse 1931, p. 135ff.). No copies of Breitenbach’s articles have been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL.
12
Koseritz had made the church and above all the Jesuits the target of his polemics for many years. The Jesuits had countered these attacks by founding the Deutsche Volksblatt, also a fortnightly newspaper, which by 1881 was edited in the Jesuit College of São Leopoldo (Gehse 1931, pp. 43, 76).
13
Breitenbach’s article ‘Die Entstehung der geschlechtlichen Fortpflanzung. Eine phylogenetische Studie’ (The origin of sexual reproduction. A phylogenetic study; Breitenbach 1881a) was published in Kosmos, January 1881. No separate copy of the article has been found in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL, but CD subscribed to the journal, and his copy is in the collection of unbound journals in the Darwin Archive–CUL. Breitenbach’s father was also called Wilhelm Breitenbach.
14
‘Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Baues der Schmetterlings-Rüssel’ (Contributions to the understanding of the structure of the butterfly proboscis; Breitenbach 1881b) was published on 25 January 1881. No copy has been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL.
15
In the event, Breitenbach returned to Germany in 1883 (Nöthlich 2009).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12962,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12962