From Anton Dohrn   28 February 1871

My dear Sir!

My sincerest thanks for the great kindness, with which you have remembered, how ardently I take interest in the Development of your great theory. I know, you dislike anything like compliments,—therefore I suppress, what I really felt, when I got the two Volumes into my hands.¹ I will study them to the best of my faculties,—and I hope I may learn, how one becomes a great benefactor of science not o⁠⟨⁠nly⁠⟩⁠ by intellectual but also by moral faculties. This union I will always remember, whenever I pronounce or think your name. But here I’ll stop, else you would cast aside my letter.

I am glad, that I can tell you the best about my progresses in Embryology of Insects. The Parallelism to the Embryology of Vertebrates becomes greater and greater; I have tried with the best success to prepare sections of the eggs, and this method, which has not yet been applied to so small objects, furnishes me a deeper insight into the Problems of histological Development of Arthropods than my predecessors enjoyed.

I have also succeeded to get the embryos of Limulus, and I hope I may have succeeded in treating the morphological questions of the Pterygotus, Trilobits etc.² There is nothing like Isopod like structure. It is difficult to bring them into any distinct relation to the Crustacea. It looks rather like a rudiment of a lost order, whose chief representatives were the Trilobits. But it is necessary to examine living eggs and embryos. The Americans will not do for this sort of work.³

I hope your health is well and you will let us have in time the new work, you speak of in your Preface.⁴

Remember me kindly to Mrs. Darwin and to the members of your family, to whom I am so much indebted for the beautiful hours spent in your house.⁵

Ever yours truly devoted | Anton Dohrn

The Zoological Station has happily overcome a good deal of difficulties and is slowly advancing!⁶