MODERN BIOLOGY 489 



waters there existed abundant animal life, which induced the young doctor 

 to investigate it. Among other works he brought out a book on the medusre, 

 which brought him wide recognition. At the age of thirty he was appointed 

 professor at a School of Mines and this led him to take up palasontological 

 research, but he further had an opportunity of teaching physiology and com- 

 parative anatomy, which he had already thoroughly studied during his stu- 

 dent days. Full of energy and initiative as he was, he was able to make 

 practical use of his science to an extent that few have equalled. Not only 

 by means of popular lectures and text-books, but also as a member of school 

 committees and an expert on fishery questions, he laboured to expand the 

 knowledge of biology and to increase respect for its methods and mode of 

 thought. His authority ultimately became very great and honours of all 

 kinds were showered upon him — more, in fact, than he cared for. After 

 a long period of suffering he died in 1895. His marble statue stands by the 

 side of Darwin's in the South Kensington Museum in London. 



Huxley' s ivork on the medusce 

 Huxley was a highly gifted scientist, though critical rather than creative. 

 His first work on the anatomy and affinities of the medusa; was that of 

 a pioneer; he therein demonstrated the connexion between hydroid polypi 1 

 and hydromedusa; and combined them into one order, the Hydrozoa. Of 

 still greater value was his idea of comparing the dermal and intestinal layers 

 of these animals with the germinal layers in the embryonic stages of the 

 higher animals; out of this comparison eventually arose the general theory 

 of germinal layers. His sea voyage likewise produced a series of valuable 

 studies on the Tunicata. He also made important contributions in the sphere 

 of vertebrate anatomy; especially well known are his com.parative studies 

 of the structure of the cranium, whereby he proved, on the support of the 

 preparatory embryological works of Rathke and others, the absurdity of 

 the Oken-Goethe theory of the cranium's being composed of vertebra;, while 

 at the same time he admitted its original metameric structure. This proved 

 a severe blow to Owen's archetype theory; from that moment the aged, cap- 

 tious anatomist became Huxley's enemy, all the more so as the latter had 

 already rejected the idealistic morphology. When, later on, old Owen de- 

 clared that the human brain has certain parts which no other animal can be 

 shown to possess and sought on these grounds to claim for the human race 

 a special position as towards the rest of the animals, Huxley proved in a 

 sharply critical way that the anatomical details of Owen's account were en- 

 tirely inaccurate, and this nullified all the latter's efforts to isolate man from 

 the animals. 



Huxley embraces Darwinism 

 Nevertheless, in his youth Huxley was an upholder of the immutability 

 of the species, and an opponent of Lamarck's theories of evolution. Upon 



