46 MY LIFE 



tion controversy in the rather painful dispute between Pro- 

 fessor Richard Owen and Huxley, supported by Flower, on 

 certain alleged differences between the brains of man and apes. 

 I so much enjoyed the meeting, both in its scientific and 

 social aspects, that I attended the next eleven meetings, and 

 generally took part in some of the discussions, besides occa- 

 sionally reading short papers. One of the most enjoyable 

 meetings socially was that at Exeter, where I and a large 

 party of scientific men were hospitably entertained at a 

 country mansion eight or ten miles from the city, into which 

 we were driven and brought back every day. Among the 

 guests there was Professor Rankin, who entertained us by 

 singing some of his own descriptive or witty compositions, 

 especially the ' Song of the Engine Driver," and that inimi- 

 table Irish descriptive song on " The City of Mullingar." On 

 this occasion there appeared one of the most humorous 

 parodies of the work of the association that has ever been 

 written, called " Exeter Change for the British Lions." It 

 was in the form of a small magazine, giving reports of the 

 meetings, with absurd papers, witty verses, and clever 

 parodies of the leading members, all worthy of Hood himself 

 in his most humorous vein. One of the best of the parodies 

 is the following, as all will admit who are familiar with the 

 style of the supposed author. 



ON THE ALCOHOLIC COMPOUND TERMED 



PUNCH 



By John T — nd — ll, ll.d v f.r.s. 



Chastened and invigorated by the discipline of physical research, 

 the philosopher fearlessly climbs the never-trodden peaks of pure 

 thought, whence he surveys without dizziness the shadowy domain 

 which lies beyond the horizon of ordinary observation. The empirical 

 art of punch-brewing is co-extensive with civilization. But the molec- 

 ular commotion which agitates the palate of the punch-drinker and 

 awakes in his brain an indescribable feeling of satisfaction could only 

 be apprehended by one whose mind had been previously exercised on 

 the parallel bars of acoustics and optics. 



