1868 HAECKEL'S ' MORPHOLOGIE ' 441 



There is not the slightest desire to make you mutilate 

 your book or leave out anything which you conceive to 

 be absolutely essential ; and I on my part should certainly 

 not think of asking you to make any alteration which 

 would not in my judgment improve the book quite ir- 

 respectively of the tastes of the British public. 



[Alterations are suggested.] But I stop. By this 

 time you will be swearing at me for attacking all your 

 favourite bits. Let me know what you think about these 

 matters. 



I congratulate you and Madame Haeckel heartily on 

 the birth of your boy. Children work a greater meta- 

 morphosis in men than any other condition of life. They 

 ripen one wonderfully and make life ten times better 

 worth having than it was. 



26 ABBEY PLACE, Nov. 15, 1868. 



MY DEAR DARWIN You are always the bienvenu, 

 and we shall be right glad to see you on Sunday morning. 



We breakfast at 8.30, and the decks are clear before 

 nine. I would offer you breakfast, but I know it does 

 not suit you to come out unfed ; and besides you would 

 abuse the opportunity to demoralise Harry. 1 Ever yours 

 faithfully. T. H. HUXLEY. 



An undated note to Darwin belongs to the very 

 end of this year, or to the beginning of the next :^ 



The two volumes of the new book have just reached 

 me. My best thanks for them ; and if you can only send 

 me a little time for reading them within the next three 

 months you will heighten the obligation twenty-fold. I 

 wish I had either two heads or a body that needed no 

 rest ! 



1 This small boy of nearly four was a great favourite of Darwin's. 

 When we children were all staying at Down about this time, Darwin 

 himself would come in upon us at dinner, and patting him on the 

 head, utter what has become a household word amongst us, " Make 

 yourself at home, and take large mouthfuls." 



