430 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xxvii 



him which made his hand, when turned to anatomical science, 

 so heavy that he could not lift it. Not even that which was so 

 strong within him, the duty of fulfilling a promise, could bring 

 him to the work. In his room at South Kensington, where for 

 a quarter of a century he had laboured with such brilliant effect, 

 there lay on his working table for months, indeed for years, 

 partly dissected specimens of the rare and little studied marine 

 animal, Spirula, of which he had promised to contribute an 

 account to the Reports 'of the " Challenger " Expedition, and 

 hard by lay the already engraven plates ; there was still wanted 

 nothing more than some further investigation and the working 

 out of the results. But it seemed as if some hidden hands were 

 always being stretched out to keep him from the task; and 

 eventually another labourer had to complete it. (Ibid.) 



The remaining letters of this year include several to Dr. 

 Dohrn, which show the continued interest my father took in 

 the great project of the Biological Station at Naples, which 

 was carried through in spite of many difficulties. He had 

 various books and proceedings of learned societies sent out 

 at Dr. Dohrn's request (I omit the details) and proposed a 

 scheme for raising funds towards completing the building 

 when the contractor failed. The scheme, however, was not 

 put into execution. 



4 Marlborough Place, Fei. 24, 1873. 



My dear Dohrn — I was very glad to receive the fine sealed 

 letter, and to get some news of you — though to be sure there is 

 not much of you in the letter, but all is " Station, Station." 



I congratulate you heartily on your success with your under- 

 taking, and I only wish I could see England represented among 

 the applicants for tables. But you see England is so poor, and 

 the present price of coals obliges her to economise. 



I envy you your visit from " Pater Anchises " Baer, and 

 rejoice to hear that the grand old man is well and strong enough 

 to entertain such a project. I wish I could see my way to doing 

 the like. I have had a long bout of illness — ever since August 

 — but I am now very much better, indeed, I hope I may say quite 

 well. The weariness of all this has been complicated by the 

 trouble of getting into a new house, and in addition a law-suit 

 brought by a knavish neighbour, in the hope of extracting money 

 out of me. 



I am happy to say, however, that he has just been thoroughly 

 and effectually defeated. It has been a new experience for me, 



