188 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. VII 



rallies Baynes on that score. Thus, when Mrs. 

 Baynes had acted as her husband's amanuensis, he 

 writes (February 11, 1878): 



My respectful compliments to the " mere machine," 

 whose beautiful caligraphy (if that isn't a tautology) 

 leaves no doubt in my mind that whether the writing 

 of your letters by that agency is good for you or not it is 

 admirable for your correspondents. 



Why people can't write a plain legible hand I can't 

 imagine. 1 



And on another occasion he adds a postscript to 

 say, "You write worse than ever. So do L" 



However, the article got finished in course of 

 time : 



Aug. 5. I have seen and done with all Amphibia 

 but the last sheet, and that only waits revise. Considering 

 it was to be done in May, I think I am pretty punctual. 



The next year, immediately before taking Sir 

 Wyville Thomson's lectures at Edinburgh, he writes 

 about another article which he had in hand : 



4 MARLBOROUGH PLACE, N.W., 

 March 16, 1875. 



MY DEAR BAYNES I am working against time to get 

 a lot of things done amongst others BIOLOGY before 

 I go north. I have' written a large part of said article, 

 and it would facilitate my operation immensely if what 

 is done were set up and I had two or three proofs, one 

 for Dyer, who is to do part of the article. 



Now, if I send the MS. to North Bridge will you 



1 N.B. This sentence is written purposely in a most illegible 

 hand. 



