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Abstract

THE Huxley Centenary Supplement published with this week's issue of NATURE will, we hope, be judged as modestly worthy of a memorable event. It would have been easy to extend this appreciative survey of Huxley's scientific work and intellectual influence, and we feel that many aspects of these are left unnoticed. The articles which we are privileged to publish are sufficient, however, to show the versatility of his genius and the stimulus which his life afforded to all who came in contact with him, or listened to his message to the modern world. We are fortunate in being able to publish the substance of the Huxley Memorial Lecture delivered by Prof. E. B. Poulton on May 4 at the Royal College of Science, South Kensington. The lecture originated with the Old Students Association of the College, the president of which, Mr. Herbert Wright, was in the chair, and Sir Charles Sherrington, president of the Royal Society, proposed a cordial vote of thanks to Prof. Poulton for his interesting address. Sir Ray Lankester urges, in his contribution to our Supplement, that the present generation of scientific workers should turn to Huxley's life and essays for inspiration and guidance. No better advice could be given in these days of minute specialisation and the need for the application of scientific methods to problems of national well-being. The following list of works on Huxley, or by him, may, therefore, be of service: “Thomas H. Huxley”, by J. Ainsworth Davis (English Men of Science Series: Dent); “Huxley”, by Gerald Leighton (The People's Books: Nelson); “Thomas Henry Huxley: a Character Sketch”, by Leonard Huxley (Life-stories of Famous Men Series: Watts); “Thomas Henry Huxley”, by Edward Clodd (Modern English Writers Series: Blackwood); “Huxley: a Sketch,” by P. Chalmers Mitchell (Putnam's ); “Huxley Memorial Lectures to the University of Birmingham,” with an Introduction by Sir Oliver Lodge (Cornish); Sketches of Thomas'Henry Huxley, in “Problems and Persons,” by Wilfrid Ward (Longmans); “Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley,” by Leonard Huxley (Vols. 10, n and 12 of the Life and Works of Huxley, Eversley Series: Macmillan); “Huxley and Education,” by H. F. Osborn (Scribner's ); “Impressions of Great Naturalists: Reminiscences of Darwin, Huxley, Balfour, Cope and Others,” by H. F. Osborn (Scribner's ).