356 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XV 



ex officio Trustee of the British Museum ; the duties 

 connected with the Inspectorship of Fisheries, the 

 City and Guilds Technical Education Committee, and 

 the University of London, and delivered the opening 

 address at the London Hospital Medical School, on 

 " The State and the Medical Profession " (Coll Ess. 

 iii. 323), his health meanwhile growing less and less 

 satisfactory. He dropped minor offices, such as the 

 Presidency of the National Association of Science 

 Teachers, which, he considered, needed more careful 

 supervision than he was able to give, and meditated 

 retiring from part at least of his main duties, when 

 he was ordered abroad at a moment's notice for first 

 one, then another, and yet a third period of two 

 months. But he did not definitely retire until this 

 rest had proved ineffectual to fit him again for active 

 work 



The President of the Koyal Society is, as men- 

 tioned above, an ex offido Trustee of the British 

 Museum, so that now, as again in 1888, circumstances 

 at length brought about the state of affairs which 

 Huxley had once indicated half jestingly to 

 Robert Lowe, who inquired of him what would be 

 the best course to adopt with respect to the Natural 

 History collections of the British Museum : '" Make 

 me a Trustee and Flower director." At this 

 moment, the question of an official residence for 

 the Director of the Natural History Museum was 

 under discussion with the Treasury, and he 

 writes : 



