1895. HUXLEY. 123 



Schwann that the cell was the unit of structure. On the other hand, 

 he held that cells were not the physiological units. It is interesting 

 to notice that, although for many years afterwards physiologists were 

 at variance with him upon this point, in the last few years the 

 tendency has been growing stronger and stronger to discard the cell 

 as a physiological unit. 



The next great contribution to science was the famous paper 

 upon the morphology of the cephalous Mollusca. This suggested a 

 homology between the arms of cephalopods and the gasteropod foot, 

 a suggestion which for long was almost universally accepted. It 

 contained an account of a schematic mollusc, the illustrious parent of 

 Ray Lankester's more famous child. He assumed that some chiton- 

 like mollusc was nearest the archetype, and that the various forms of 

 gasteropods were derived by twistings of the primitive straight form. 

 The cephalopods were morphologically identical with gasteropods, 

 while the lamellibranchs were modifications of the gasteropod type. 

 He separated the ascidians from the other " molluscs," although he 

 did not go the length of elevating them into a group of equal 

 importance. 



We have mentioned what seem to us the most striking points in 

 his pre-Darwinian work. Reading it in the light of our modern 

 knowledge it seems marvellous that he had not declared himself 

 openly an evolutionist. But, as he says himself, he was in a state of 

 suspense regarding the permanence or impermanence of specific forms. 

 He had abandoned the Mosaic notion of separate creations ; but, until 

 the importance of Natural Selection had been suggested by Darwin, 

 the problem of species had not aroused any special interest in his 

 mind. It is worth noticing that he had paid little or no attention to 

 specific forms. He had already coined the word "species-monger." 

 The generalisations he had made, although they fitted well with the 

 dynamical view of organic forms that we now hold, fitted equally well 

 with the statical view of Cuvier and Owen. 



But, once convinced, Huxley threw himself into the battle for 

 Darwinism, with all the splendid vigour of which he was possessed. 

 " I am sharpening my beak and claws," he wrote to Darwin in 

 November, 1859. Perhaps the earliest and most vigorous blow he 

 struck for Darwin was an anonymous review of the Origin of Species 

 in the Times of December 26, 1859. The opportunity came to him by 

 a chance. Mr. Lucas, one of the regular staff, and an acquaintance of 

 Huxley, received the book for review in the ordinary routine of his 

 work. But he was ignorant of science, and being much occupied, 

 consulted Huxley, who wrote all but the opening sentences. In 

 those days a great daily journal had the importance in floating a 

 scientific book that it now has with a literary treatise. Huxley's 

 diplomatic avoidance of the prejudices of the readers, and his en- 

 thusiastic approval of the method and contents of the volume had a 

 most important influence ; and the review had the effect most 



