I870 LETTER TO DOHRN 357 



Jermyn Street, April 30, 1870. . 



My dear Whirlwind — I have received your two letters; 

 and I was just revolving in my mind how best to meet your 

 wishes in regard to the very important project mentioned in 

 the first, when the second arrived and put me at rest. 



I hope I need not say how heartily I enter into all your 

 views, and how glad I shall be to see your plan for " Stations " * 

 carried into effect. Nothing could have a greater influence upon 

 the progress of zoology. 



A plan was set afoot here some time ago to establish a great 

 marine Aquarium at Brighton by means of a company. They 

 asked me to be their President, but I declined, on the ground 

 that I did not desire to become connected with any commercial 

 undertaking. What has become of the scheme I do not know, 

 but I doubt whether it would be of any use to you, even if any 

 connection could be established. 



As soon as you have any statement of your project ready, 

 send it to me and I will take care that it is brought prominently 

 before the British public so as to stir up their minds. And then 

 we will have a regular field-day about it in Section D at Liver- 

 pool. 



Let me know your new ideas about insects and vertebrata as 

 soon as possible, and I promise to do my best to pull them to 

 pieces. What between Kowalewsky and his Ascidians, Mikluko- 

 Maclay and his Fish-brains, and you and your Arthropods, I am 

 becoming schwindelsuchtig, and spend my time mainly in that 

 pious ejaculation " Donner und Blitz," in which, as you know, 

 I seek relief. Then there is our Bastian who is making living 

 things by the following combination : — 



5 Ammoniac Carbonatis 

 Sodae Phosphatis 

 Aquae destillatae 



quantum sufficit 

 Caloris 150° Centigrade 

 Vacui perfectissimi 

 Patientiae. 



Transubstantiation will be nothing to this if it turns out to 

 be true, and you may go and tell your neighbour Januarius to 

 shut up his shop as the heretics mean to outbid him. 



* Dr. Dohrn succeeded in establishing such a zoological " station " 

 at Naples. 



