John Murray (Challenger Office) an Ernst Haeckel, Edinburgh, 17. November 1887
Challenger Expedition Office,
32 Queen Street, Edinburgh,
17 November 1887
Dear Haeckel
If you are quite sure that you can give me the first half of the manuscript next month, and the second half by the end of the third week of March, and that the plates will be || all drawn by the end of March and printed and delivered by the middle of June then I think I can arrange the matter.
Will you let me know if this will suit you, the government grant for the special reports || comes to an end on the 31 March, and it will be very difficult to arrange for any publication the M. S. of which is not in my hand at that time. I hope this extension will suit you but don’t say so unless you feel you can wind up so that the work may be published in July || at latest. I can not hope to extend the work beyond that time.
Yours sincerely
John Murray.
I must remain here now till Christmas at least.