248 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 



influenced by the new doctrines. He may be regarded 

 as a Darwinian who, without ceasing to carry on the 

 tradition created by Johannes Miiller and Von Baer, sub- 

 jected it to the vivifying influence of evolutionary theory. 



Only second to his work as a professional scientist and 

 champion of Darwinism, come Huxley's manifold labours 

 in the cause of education. The methods adopted in 

 modern biological teaching are based on his, which 

 initiated a new epoch and replaced much that was 

 desultory and superficial. As a professor, his lectures 

 were ideal, and had his many duties permitted him to 

 give more of his own time to laboratory supervision, his 

 fame as a teacher would have been even greater. 



It has often been regretted that his many-sided activities 

 absorbed the energy that would have enabled him to 

 found a school of scientific workers, actively engaged in 

 original research, as such a man would have assuredly 

 done in such a country as Germany. But this was not 

 to be ; there were other things to be done that he deemed 

 of greater importance, and for which he appears to have 

 cared more. Considering that he himself was an investi- 

 gator of unrivalled keenness and ability, this would seem 

 a little singular. It is however certain that surprisingly 

 few of his many pupils have attained even to moderate 

 distinction. But to this it must be added that the system 

 adopted in the Royal College of Science did not lend 

 itself to the making of specialists, besides which so many 

 of his students were scarcely the right material for such 

 a purpose. Had Huxley been an University professor, the 

 results of his teaching would probably have been very 

 difl^ierent. It would be difficult, however, to overestimate 

 the results of his methods. 



His influence on elementary education was immense, 

 and secondary instruction is also greatly indebted to him. 



