274 EVOLUTION [Chat\ IV 



Letter 194 To T. II. I Ilixlcy. 



Down, Dec. 22nd [1866?]. 



I suppose that you have received Hackel's book 1 some 

 time ago, as I have done. Whenever you have had time to 

 read through some of it, enough to judge by, I shall be very 

 curious to hear your judgment. I have been able to read a 

 page or two here and there, and have been interested and 

 instructed by parts. But my vague impression is that too 

 much space is given to methodical details, and I can find 

 hardly any facts or detailed new views. The number of 

 new words, to a man like myself, weak in his Greek, is 

 something dreadful. He seems to have a passion for defining, 

 I daresay very well, and for coining new words. From my 

 very vague notions on the book, and from its immense size, I 

 should fear a translation was out of the question. I see he 

 often quotes both of us with praise. I am sure I should like 

 the book much, if I could read it straight off instead of 

 groaning and swearing at each sentence. I have not yet had 

 time to read your Physiology 2 book, except one chapter ; but I 

 have just re-read your book on Man's Pla.ce> etc., and I think 

 I admire it more this second time even than the first. I 

 doubt whether you will ever have time, but if ever you have, 

 do read the chapter on hybridism in the new edition of the 

 Origin} for I am very anxious to make you think less 

 seriously on that difficulty. I have improved the chapter a 

 good deal, I think, and have come to more definite views. 

 Asa Gray and Fritz Muller (the latter especially) think 

 that the new facts on illegitimate offspring of dimorphic 

 plants, throw much indirect light on the subject. Now 

 that I have worked up domestic animals, I am convinced of 

 the truth of the Pallasian ' view of loss of sterility under 

 domestication, and this seems to me to explain much. But 

 I had no intention, when I began this note, of running on at 

 such length on hybridism ; but you have been Objector- 

 General on this head. 



1 Generelle Morphologic, 1866. 



2 Lessons in Elementary Physiology, 1866. 



3 Fourth Edit. (1866). 

 * See Letter 80. 



