XXIV LIFE OF ALBANY HANCOCK. 



Transactions' for 1858, is a spendid proof of his talents as an 

 enlightened Naturalist, a philosophical Anatomist, and an 

 accomplished Artist. 



The Royal Society, in acknowledgment of their apprecia- 

 tion of the high value of his works on the Mollusca, and of 

 that on the Brachiopoda in particular, awarded him, in 1858, 

 a Royal medal, an honour conferred on few. 



In the Address of the President of that year (the Right 

 Hon. Lord Wrottesly) at the Anniversary Meeting of the 

 Royal Society, the following notice was taken of Albany 

 Hancock's labours, on the presentation to him, through Prof. 

 Huxley, of the Royal medal. After a commendatory notice 

 of the papers on Eolis and Doris, the Monograph of the 

 Nudibranchiata is characterized as " a work eminent alike 

 for the beauty and fidelity of its illustrations and the value 

 and completeness of its zoological and anatomical details.'"' 

 And further, " Among the more important of Mr. Hancock's 

 numerous independent contributions to science should be 

 noticed a valuable paper on the ' Excavating Powers of cer- 

 tain Sponges ' his discovery and accurate account of a new 

 and curious genus of burrowing Cirriped.es, and several others ; 

 in all of which is manifested a remarkable capacity for 

 minute and accurate observation conjoined with great powers 

 of generalization. But in none of Mr. Hancock's labours are 

 these faculties so eminently displayed as in his more recent 

 investigation of the organization of the Brachiopoda. In his 

 elaborate monograph on this most difficult subject, and of 

 which it may be truly said a more complete specimen of 

 minute anatomy has not appeared since the days of Lyonet, a 

 detailed account is given of the whole organization of the 

 Brachiopoda founded upon the laborious dissection of 

 numerous species ; several interesting points in their economy, 

 first indicated by Prof. Huxley, are confirmed ; many addi- 

 tional facts communicated ; and a new and clear light thrown 

 upon the previously obscure subject of the physiological and 

 systematic relations of the class in general." 



Praise like this, and from so high a scientific source, could 

 not but be agreeable to our friend, and stamped him as a 

 man of established fame. 



He was solicited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society, 

 but declined the honour. 



During the progress of the above works his attention was 

 attracted from time to time by various subjects of kindred 

 character, and he made numerous contributions to scientific 

 periodicals ; indeed, for thirty years, he scarcely ceased from 

 work; each year bringing forth something of more or less solid 



