66 GEOEGB JOHN ROMANES i876- 



that I must get back soon to pilot the way. We 

 shall indeed have a jolly time. 



I have Just got out from the section room, and my 

 work is over. I had a splendid audience both as to 

 number and quality. 



When I had finished, all the great guns had their 

 say, Professor Hackel leading off with a tremendous 

 eulogiiun on the work, laying special stress on the 

 great difficulty of conducting an inquiry of the kind, 

 and complimenting me highly on the success obtained. 

 Sanderson then made a long speech, and then 

 Stirling and Balfour, &c. 



The latter stated it as his opinion that my 

 investigation is the most important that has as yet 

 been conducted in any department of invertebrate 

 physiology. The discussion was then cut short by the 

 president to leave time for the other papers, my own 

 exposition having taken so long. I repHed briefly. 



Shortly after this, Mr. Eomanes delivered a lecture 

 on the Evidences of Organic Evolution, which he re- 

 printed in the ' Eortnightly,' and afterwards worked up 

 into a little book called ' The Scientific Evidences 

 of Organic Evolution.' About this lecture Mr. Darwin 

 wrote : — 



Down. 



My dear Eomanes, — I have just finished your 

 lecture. It is an admirable scientific argument and 

 most powerful. I wish that it could be sown broad- 

 cast throughout the land. Your courage is marvellous, 

 and I wonder that you were not stoned on the spot. 

 And in Scotland ! Do please tell me how it was 

 received in the Lecture Hall. About man being 



