[102]

Hubrecht Utrecht Sept 22. 1882

 

Sept 20 1882

Dear Sir,

A few days ago I took the liberty to send you a copy of the innaugural oration with which I entered upon my duties as professor to this university. According to the wish expressed by yourself in different periodicals, I have the greatest pleasure to subjoin the two letters written by your father, which

[102v]

are in my possession and which I value so very highly.

There is a direct connection between the first of the letters and the oration above mentioned. In the latter I have more fully worked out the idea of which I had drawn up a preliminary sketch which I submitted to your father. To this he most kindly and courteously replied by his letter of Aug. 25, 1879.

His valuable suggestions

[102b]

together with his recommendations of extreme caution, caused me to postpone any publications of my ideas up till now.

Although the facts I have since gathered are few, still they appear to me to have a bearing on the very points your father most objected to and to open a perspective some of these objections may after all someday be overcome

The long life of several invertebrates and the fact

[102c]

of the constant difference obtaining between the eggs of young and of old salmong of the same species (p. 25) belong to this category.

Some day I may perhaps have occasion to submit these speculation to your criticism, when they are transformed into a more readable form than that of a treatise in the Dutch language.

With kindest regards

I remain

yours very faithfully

A AW. Hubrecht.