I have read Nos. IV, and V. (156/1. "On our Knowledge of the Causes
of the Phenomena of Organic Nature," being six Lectures to Working Men
delivered at the Museum of Practical Geology by Prof. Huxley, 1863.
These lectures, which were given once a week from November 10th, 1862,
onwards, were printed from the notes of Mr. J.A. Mays, a shorthand
writer, who asked permission to publish them on his own account; Mr.
Huxley stating in a prefatory "Notice" that he had no leisure to
revise the lectures.) They are simply perfect. They ought to be largely
advertised; but it is very good in me to say so, for I threw down No.
IV. with this reflection, "What is the good of writing a thundering big
book, when everything is in this green little book, so despicable for
its size?" In the name of all that is good and bad, I may as well shut
up shop altogether. You put capitally and most simply and clearly the
relation of animals and plants to each other at page 122.
Be careful about Fantails: their tail-feathers are fixed in a radiating
position, but they can depress and elevate them. I remember in a
pigeon-book seeing withering contempt expressed at some naturalist for
not knowing this important point! Page 111 (156/2. The reference is
to the original little green paper books in which the lectures first
appeared; the paging in the bound volume dated 1863 is slightly
different. The passage here is, "...If you couple a male and female
hybrid...the result is that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred you
will get no offspring at all." Darwin maintains elsewhere that Huxley,
from not knowing the botanical evidence, made too much of this point.
See "Life and Letters," II., page 384.) seems a little too strong--viz.,
ninety-nine out of a hundred, unless you except plants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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