vin PROFESSOR HUXLEY 121 



subject, it often only adds another load to the already over- 

 burdened memory for instance, after the usual dry, detailed 

 and technical description of the part treated of, a disquisition 

 is added on what is called its " transcendental " anatomy, 

 extremely incomprehensible to most minds, and consisting 

 chiefly in the imposition of a new set of names to parts of 

 which the student has just succeeded in mastering the old 

 ones. 



All this ought to be reversed ; the essential nature of the 

 part in question, as deduced from comparative anatomy, should 

 be first announced with a glance at its principal modifications ; 

 then its special characters as seen in man will be a subject 

 of intelligent interest. I know from experience that after 

 studying and teaching human anatomy for many years on the 

 ordinary methods, there were many parts the meaning and 

 nature of which I never understood until I began to dissect 

 animals ; and increase of knowledge in this direction constantly 

 throws light on apparently unmeaning or incomprehensible 

 parts of human structure. 



One word more by way of introduction. I began with the 

 mention of my immediate predecessor in this chair. To him I 

 must once again return. The subject matter of the present 

 course will embrace many points treated of by him, more or 

 less fully, in some of his lectures delivered in this theatre, and 

 many on which I have had the advantage of his conversation 

 and counsel. His teaching has entered so deeply into, and 

 mingled so closely i with, observations and reflections that may 

 have suggested themselves in the course of my work in the 

 museum, that in many cases it would be difficult to trace the 

 sources of information that I may have to impart, and I may, 

 perhaps, appear guilty of appropriating what should belong to 

 another. Let me acknowledge then, once for all, how deeply 

 I am indebted to Professor Huxley, not only for the informa- 

 tion conveyed in the public manner of lectures and books, but 

 also for the generous way in which, on all occasions, his time, 

 his knowledge, his thoughts, have been freely given to me. 

 And I say this the more willingly, because I know that I am 

 but one of many whose labours have been lightened, whose 

 efforts have been stimulated, whose difficulties have been 



