Annual Report of the Council. 129 



stantial consolation prize of the chair of natural history 

 at the Royal School of Mines, in succession to Edward 

 Forbes, who was to spend the few remaining months 

 of his short life as professor in his own alma mater of 

 Edinburgh. It was now that he began to organise that 

 system of practical instruction in biology, by means of 

 the thorough-going dissection and examination of certain 

 selected types, which has furnished the basis of all modern 

 laboratory work. About this time his studies brought 

 him into contact with Charles Darwin, who was engaged 

 upon those investigations which resulted a few years later 

 in the publication of the " Origin of Species." It is on 

 record that Darwin said himself that if he were able to 

 convert Lyell, Hooker, and Huxley to a belief in his 

 views, the result would be the acceptance of the theory 

 of Natural Selection. This prophecy has been abundantly 

 fulfilled, and that mainly owing to the energy, acumen, 

 and gifts of clear exposition by pen and tongue of Huxley. 

 If Darwin planted, Huxley was the Apollos who watered, 

 or, to use his own phrase, he " acted for some time in 

 the capacity of under nurse," and "for some years it was 

 undoubtedly warm work." None the less, however, was 

 it the kind of work that showed his mettle and developed 

 his inborn faculties for controversy. A lecture at the 

 Royal Institution, and a long and able review of the 

 " Origin of Species " in The Times, were some of the 

 incidents in this campaign; but beyond all question the 

 most exciting engagement was a discussion of the question 

 during the meeting of the British Association, which 

 culminated in a duel between Huxley and Bishop Wil- 

 berforce, much to the disadvantage of the latter. The 

 Bishop " so far forgot himself as to push his advantage 

 to the verge of personality," and to ask " whether Huxley 

 was related by his grandfather's or grandmother's side to 

 an ape." This called forth the rejoinder : "I asserted, 



