66 SIR WILLIAM FLOWER CHAP. 



the hippocampus minor in the brain of man which 

 was not found in the brain of the apes. Huxley, 

 relying largely on Flower's investigation of the 

 latter, took a different line, and was able to refer 

 his hearers to his authorities. But it was clearly 

 a case in which "seeing is believing." It was 

 at this juncture that "a Mr. Flower, one of the 

 audience," to quote the Times, " rose up and said, 

 ' I happen to have in my pocket a monkey's brain,' 

 and produced the object in question." 



For twenty- two years his exposition and com- 

 parison of the modifications of limbs, bones, organs 

 of sensation, organs of nutrition, and organs of per- 

 ception went on, the results being set out in the 

 cases of the Museum. It must not be lost sight of 

 that this labour was positive, not merely illustrative. 

 It was the counterpart and completion of the written 

 work of the first evolutionists. It gave a " corpus " 

 of the facts, all arranged in due and logical order, 

 without which written treatises, however cogent and 

 convincing, could not satisfy practical students eager 

 to make fresh discoveries, or to combine and use 

 the new suggestions and new principles for the 

 benefit of humanity or even the exercise of pure 

 reason. 



It would probably be conceded to-day that this 

 substantive contribution to the spread of knowledge 

 and conviction as to the processes of evolution 

 places Flower in the front rank of those engaged 

 in the practical advancement of knowledge in his 



