204 PIONEERS OF EVOLUTION. 



he was appointed, seven months later, assistant sur- 

 geon of the Rattlesnake. That ship, commanded by 

 Captain Owen Stanley, was commissioned to survey 

 the intricate passage within the Barrier Reef skirting 

 the eastern shores of Australia, and to explore the 

 sea lying between the northern end of that reef and 

 New Guinea. It was the best apprenticeship to what 

 was eventually the work of Huxley's life — the solu- 

 tion of biological problems and the indication of their 

 far-reaching significance. Darwin and Hooker had 

 passed through a like marine curriculum. The for- 

 mer served as naturalist on board the Beagle when 

 she sailed on her voyage round the world in 1831; 

 the latter as assistant-surgeon on board the Erebus 

 on her Antarctic Expedition in 1839. Fortune was 

 to bring the three shoulder to shoulder when the 

 battle against the theory of the immutability of spe- 

 cies was fought. 



During his four-years' absence Huxley, in whom 

 the biologist dominated the doctor, made observa- 

 tions on the various marine animals collected. These 

 he sent home to the Linnsean Society in vain hope of 

 acceptance. A more elaborate paper to the Royal 

 Society, communicated through the Bishop of Nor- 

 wich (author of a book on birds, and father of Dean 

 Stanley), secured the coveted honour of publication, 

 and on Huxley's return in 1850 a " huge packet of 

 separate copies" awaited him. It dealt with the 

 anatomy and affinities of the Medusas, and the origi- 

 nal research which it evidenced justified his election 



