272 THE SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. [Ch. XIV. 



Institution of Geneva (1869), ' personne, en Europe au moins, 

 n'ose plus soutenir la creation independante et de toutes pieces, 

 des especes,' it is manifest that at least a large number of 

 naturalists must admit that species are the modified descendants 

 of other species ; and this especially holds good with the 

 younger and rising naturalists. ... Of the older and honoured 

 chiefs in natural science, many, unfortunately, are still opposed 

 to Evolution in every form." 



In Mr. James Hague's pleasantly written article, " A 

 Reminiscence of Mr. Darwin" {Harper's Magazine, October 

 1884), he describes a visit to my father "early in 1871," 

 shortly after the publication of the Descent of Man. Mr. 

 Hague represents my father as "much impressed by the general 

 assent with which his views had been received," and as 

 remarking that " everybody is talking about it without being 

 shocked." 



Later in the year the reception of the book is described in 

 different language in the Edinburgh Beview : " On every side 

 it is raising a storm of mingled wrath, wonder and admira- 

 tion." 



Haeckel seems to have been one of the first to write to 

 my father about the Descent of Man. I quote from Darwin's 

 reply : — 



"I must send you a few words to thank you for your 

 interesting, and I may truly say, charming letter. I am 

 delighted that you approve of my book, as far as you have read 

 it. I felt very great difficulty and doubt how often I ought 

 to allude to what you have published ; strictly speaking every 

 idea, although occurring independently to me, if published by 

 you previously ought to have appeared as if taken from your 

 works, but this would have made my book very dull reading ; 

 and I hoped that a full acknowledgment at the beginning 

 would suffice.* I cannot tell you how glad I am to find that 

 I have expressed my high admiration of your labours with 

 sufficient clearness ; I am sure that I have not expressed it too 

 strongly." 



In March he wrote to Professor Eay Lankester : — 



"I think you will be glad to hear, as a proof of the 



* In the introduction to the Descent of Man the author wrote : — " This 

 last naturalist [Haeckel] . . . has recently . . . published his Natiirliche 

 Schopfungs-Geschichte, in which he fully discusses the genealogy 'of man. 

 If this work had appeared before my essay had been written, I should 

 probably never have completed it. Almost all the conclusions at which I 

 have arrived, I find confirmed by this naturalist, whose knowledge on 

 many points is much fuller than mine." 



