performed the most complete anatomical 

 investigations, made mistakes. Lucky is 

 that person who succeeds in collecting 

 the ripened shafts, which give fruit for 

 future sowing .... I would be satisfied 

 if my contributions were seen as having 

 proven that the type of animal organization 

 stipulates its development. Scientific 

 accomplishments of others will be many. 

 However, the palm of superiority will be 

 attained by that lucky person who will 

 relate the developmental powers of animal 

 organisms to the general powers of life 

 laws of the world. But the tree still does 

 not grow of which this cradle will be made! 



With these deep and poetical words, the preface concluded. 



F. Engels in DIALECTICS OF NATURE, speaking about 

 the stages of establishing evolutionary theory, put Baer's 

 name in one line with Oken and Lamarck: he considered Baer 

 a predecessor of Darwin. Not without reason did Darwin's 

 talented associate Thomas Huxley, who translated into 

 English part of Baer's important publication, note that 

 "it seemed a great pity that works which embody the deepest 

 and soundest philosophy of zoology, and indeed of biology 

 generally, which has been given to the world, should be 

 longer unknown in this country. "8 



The embryologist Wilhelm Waldeyer, characterizing the 

 condition of embryology at the beginning of the nineteenth 

 century, wrote that, 



6. (I, xxii) . 



7. Engels' authentic words about Baer are given on p. 204. 

 (Ed.: Engels, DIALECTICS OF NATURE (New York: 

 Publications, 1940), p. 13, intro.) 



8. "Fragments Relating to Philosophical Zoology. Selected 

 from the Works of K. E. von Baer," SCIENTIFIC MEMOIRS, 

 edited by Arther Henfrey and Thomas Henry Huxley, art. 7, 

 London, 1853, pp. 176-238. (Ed. Quotation p. 176.) 



305 



