My dear Huxley

I suppose that you have received Häckels book some time ago, as I have done.² 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 & there, & have been interested & instructed by parts. But my vague impression is that too much space is given to methodical details, & 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, & for coining new words.³ From my very vague notions on the book & from its immense size, I sh^d. fear a Translation was out of the question. I see he often quotes both of us with praise.—

I am sure I sh^d. like the book much, if I could read it straight off instead of groaning & swearing at each sentence.

I have not yet had time to read your Phys. book except one chapter; but I have just reread your book on “Man’s Place &c”, & I think I admire it more this second time even than the first.⁴ I doubt whether you will ever have time, but if ever you have, do read the Chapt. on Hybridism in new Edit. of Origin,⁵ for I am very anxious to make you think less seriously on that difficulty.— I have improved the Chapt. a good deal I think, & have come to more definite views— Asa Gray & Fritz Müller (the latter especially) think that the new facts on illegitimate offspring of dimorphic plants throw much indirect light on the subject.—⁶ Now that I have worked up Domestic Animals I am convinced of the truth of the Pallasian view of loss of sterility under Domestication & this seems to me to explain much.—⁷

But I had no vile intention, when I began this note, of running on at such length on Hybridism, but you have been Objector-General on this head.—⁸

Ever my dear Huxley | Your sincere friend | Ch. Darwin