CHAPTER II 

 1871 



"IN 1871" (to quote Sir M. Foster), "the post of 

 Secretary to the Koyal Society became vacant through 

 the resignation of William Sharpey, and the Fellows 

 learned with glad surprise that Huxley, whom they 

 looked to rather as a not distant President, was will- 

 ing to undertake the duties of the office." This office, 

 which he held until 1880, involved him for the next 

 ten years in a quantity of anxious work, not only in 

 the way of correspondence and administration, but 

 the seeing through the press and often revising every 

 biological paper that the Society received, as well as 

 reading those it rejected. Then, too, he had to 

 attend every general, council, and committee meet- 

 ing, amongst which latter the Challenger Committee 

 was a load in itself. Under pressure of all this work, 

 he was compelled to give up active connection with 

 other learned societies. 1 



Other work this year, in addition to the School 

 Board, included courses of lectures at the London 



1 See Appendix II. 

 61 



