i go PIONEERS OF EVOLUTION PART 



During his four-years' absence Huxley, in whom 

 the biologist dominated the doctor, made observa- 

 tions on the various marine animals collected. These 

 he sent home to the Linnean Society in vain hope of 

 acceptance. A more elaborate paper to the Royal 

 Society, communicated through the Bishop of Nor- 

 wich (author of a book on birds, and father of Dean 

 Stanley), secured the coveted honour of publication, 

 and on Huxley's return in 1850 a 'huge packet of 

 separate copies ' awaited him. It dealt with the 

 anatomy and affinities of the Medusae, and the original 

 research which it evidenced justified his election in 

 1851 to the fellowship of the society whose presidential 

 chair he was in after years to adorn. He would seem 

 to have won the blue ribbon of science per saltum. 

 Probably, so far as their biological value is con- 

 cerned, nothing that he did subsequently has sur- 

 passed his contributions to scientific literature at that 

 period ; but if his services to knowledge had been 

 limited to the class of work which they represent, 

 he would have remained only a distinguished 

 specialist. Further recognition of his well -won 

 position came in the award of the Society's royal 

 medal. But fellowships and medals keep no wolf 

 from the door, and Huxley was a poor man. After 

 vain attempts to obtain, first, a professorship of 

 physiology in England, and then a chair of natural 

 history at Toronto (Tyndall was at the same time 

 an unsuccessful candidate for the chair of physics in 

 the same university), a settled position was secured 

 by Sir Henry de la Beche's offer of the professorship 

 of palaeontology and of the lectureship on natural 

 history in the Royal School of Mines, vacated by 



