Edwin Ray Lankester an Ernst Haeckel, Oxford, 13. März 1875
Exeter College
Oxford
March 13th
My dear Professor Haeckel,
You must be rather vexed with me as are the publishers for not finishing off the translation of your book. A real delay has been caused by my other occupations and recently I had the great pain of losing my dear father – a man whose name I dare say you knew well enough – though he was latterly more occupied with state || medicine than natural science. He translated Schleiden’s Scientific Botany – & always worked a good deal with the microscope though he has published little.
I write now to ask you to send me (or to tell the publisher to send) the Jenaische Zeitschrift as soon as published. I do not like to receive it in a lump-several months after publication. I am very anxious to read W. Müller’s paper on Amphioxus & Myxine. My publisher always sends the Q. J. Mic. Science to Jena- as soon as it is out. It would be a great kindness to me if you would direct || that I should receive in return the Jena Zeitschrift as soon as published.
I suppose you have seen the miserable attack of Fol upon me. He is a mean, vain, and ridiculous liar. I believe you found him very bad company in Lanzerote, did you not?
What do you think of Huxley’s Schizocoela, Entercoela and Epicoela. I object entirely to the last, and as far as I can see there is no ground for a group Archaeostomata. There are no animals in which it is really proved that the orifice of invagination (Blastopore I propose to call it) persists as a mouth. I have been greatly pleased with the Anthropogenie – especially the clear tabular statements of development of organs.
Believe me,
Most sincerely yours
E. Ray Lankester