138 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. V 



not . In the second place, you must begin with an 



earlier stage. . . . That is the logical starting - point 

 of the whole affair. 



Will you come and dine at 6 on Saturday, and talk 

 over the whole business ? 



If you have drawings of earlier stages you might 

 bring them. I suspect that what is wanted might be 

 supplied in plenty of time to get the paper in. 



In 1874 he re-dissects the skull of Axolotl to clear 

 up the question as to the existence of the " ventral 

 head or pedicle " which Parker failed to observe : 

 " If you disbelieve in that pedicle again, I shall be 

 guilty of an act of personal violence." Later, "I am 

 benevolent to all the world, being possessed of 

 a dozen live axolotls and four or five big dead 

 mesobranchs. Moreover, I am going to get endless 

 Frogs and Toads by judicious exchange with Gunther. 1 

 We will work up the Amphibia as they have not 

 been done since they were crea I mean evolved." 



The question of the pedicle comes up again when 

 he simplifies some of Parker's results as to the 

 development of the Columella auris in the Frog. 

 " Your suprahyomandibular is nothing but the pedicle 

 of the suspensorium over again. It has nothing 

 whatever to do with the columella auris. . . . The 

 whole thing will come out as simply as possible 

 without any of your coalescences and combothera- 

 tions. How you will hate me and the pedicle." 



Tracing the development of the columella was a 



1 Dr. A. C. L. G. Gunther, of the British Museum, where he 

 was appointed Keeper of the Department of Zoology in 1875. 



