CHAPTER II 

 1881 



The last ten years had found Huxley gradually involved 

 more and more in official duties. Now, with the beginning 

 of 1881, he became yet more deeply engrossed in practical 

 and administrative work, more completely cut off from his 

 favourite investigations, by his appointment to an Inspector- 

 ship of Fisheries, in succession to the late Frank Buckland. 

 It is almost pathetic to note how he snatched at any spare 

 moments for biological research. No sooner was a long 

 afternoon's work at the Home Office done, than, as Professor 

 Howes relates, he would often take a hansom to the labora- 

 tory at South Kensington," and spend a last half-hour at his 

 dissections before going home. 



The Inspectorship, which was worth £700 a year, he 

 held in addition to his post at South Kensington, the official 

 description of which now underwent another change. In 

 the first place, his official connection with the Survey ap- 

 pears to have ceased this year, the last report made by him 

 being in 1881. His name, however, still appeared in con- 

 nection with the post of Naturalist until his retirement in 

 1885, and it was understood that his services continued to 

 be available if required. Next, in October of this year, the 

 Royal School of Mines was incorporated with the newly 

 established Normal School — or as it was called in 1890, 

 Royal College of Science, and the title of Lecturer on Gen- 

 eral Natural History was suppressed, and Huxley became 

 Professor of Biology and Dean of the College at a salary 

 of £800, for it was arranged on his appointment to the In- 

 spectorship, that he should not receive the salary attached 

 to the post of Dean. Thus the Treasury saved £200 a year. 



