42 PROCKEDINGS OF THE 



tliat Jleredity is the iiieiuorv of tlu; plastidules and variabilify 

 tlieir power of c-oiiipivlieiisioii." Tliis work was followed in 187S 

 by ' (-Vli-Souls and kSoid-CVIls ' and other essays on Evolntion. 



In 187!* Ilaeekel puhiished his 'System der Medusen,' a large 

 folio work, coni[)risiiig not only his own researches, but those of 

 all others who had gone before biin. On tiie return of the 

 ' Challenger ' Expedition he received from the British Government 

 the collections of Hadiolaria, Keratosa, .Siphonophora, and JNIedusic. 

 In the Report on the Siphonophora tlie o|)j)oi'tunity was taken to 

 include the results of his visit to Ceylon and other places, and 

 most of the beautiful figures wliifli ilUi^trate the specimens were 

 <lra\vn from life by him. In jud<;iug Jiaerkel's systematic work it 

 is necessary to bear in mind that he was a 'man who possessed a 

 very fertile imagination, an artistic temperament, and a great 

 keenness for Evolution. In all his mon()grai)lis he drew u|) new- 

 classifications based upon Evolution, and once be got his iniagiiiai-y 

 scheme completed, tiien it was only a question of making the 

 specie"* fit into it. He was an expert at reconstructing an animal 

 out of a fragment, and it was wonderful, wben finished, bow well 

 it fitted into his classification. A previously described species 

 that would spoil or interfere with bis system of classification 

 received an amended description, owing to its author, as Ilaeckel 

 considered, having overlooked the essential characters which were 

 wanted. Jlaockel's strong imaginative powers and his enthusiasm 

 for Evolution were against him as a good systematic zoologist. 

 He was too fond of reconstructing imaginary species out of bad 

 material to fit bis views on Involution, and under the infiuence of 

 his artistic temperament the pencil would tend to convert ugly 

 things into beautiful ones. . It was not delibei-ately done, but liis 

 enthusiasm for E\oliiti()n and Art led him astray. The climax iu 

 monographs was reached with the ' Challenger ' Jiadiolaria (1887). 

 The text consisted of 2700 pages and the figures covered 

 340 plates. Over 30U0 new species were described. 



In 1881 Haeckel went to Ceylon for a few months w itb all the 

 outfits of a marine zoologist, botanist, photographer, and artist. 

 This trip be thoroughl}^ enjoyed, and he gave an interesting 

 account of his work and experiences in a book translated under 

 the title of 'A \'isit to Ceylon.' In subsequent years he visited 

 most of the countries in Eurojie, Italy being bis favourite, 

 api)ealing most to his artistic tastes. He also made expeditions 

 to North Africa, Asia Minf)r, Red Sea, and the Knst Indies. As 

 lie gre« older his love for painting was more indulged in on his 

 travels, for he could not resist painting, either in oil- or water- 

 colours, a landscape that held him iu enchantment, any more than 

 collecting animals and plants for his nniseum. 



On the completion of the ' Challenger ' monogr;ij)hs Haeckel 

 practically gave up systematic work and tiu-ned his attention 

 more closely to his works on Evolution and his philosophy of 

 Monism, in which he acknowledges nothing supernatural, but 

 conceives a (lod who embraces Nature and at the same time is 



