INTRODUCTION. xxiii 



lower vertebrate animals was more completely exhibited by 

 Hewson than by any of his predecessors or cotemporaries. 



When Dr. Monroes letter, printed at page 96 of this edition, 

 was read before the Royal Society, there was also read a letter 

 from Mr. Hewson ; whereupon it was remarked by the president, 

 Mr. West, " that he supposed the Society would think them- 

 selves obliged for these, as they do for all ingenious communi- 

 cations ; at the same time that they would undoubtedly adhere 

 to the constant rule of the Society, not to interfere by giving 

 judgment in any matter of dispute which should be brought 

 before them, and may afterwards become questionable in the 

 learned world." 1 



On the 16th of November, 1769, ten months after Dr.Monro's 

 claim had been read, the reading of Mr. Hewson' s two papers 

 on the lymphatic system of amphibia and fishes was completed, 

 and the following notice was entered in the Journal Book of 

 the Society: 2 "Mr. Hewson' s descriptions were greatly illus- 

 trated by the exhibition of a series of preparations taken from 

 turtles and divers fishes, wherein these vessels were injected 

 and shown to the naked eye in their rise, progress, communi- 

 cations, and insertions, to the great satisfaction of the Society. 

 Thanks were returned to Dr. Hunter and Mr. Hewson for these 

 very ingenious communications." They were communicated to 

 the Society by Dr. Hunter. 



On the 22d of November, 1770, there was a council of the 

 Society, composed of no less than fifteen members, including the 

 president, when Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal was awarded 

 by ballot to Hewson, " for his papers on the lymphatic system 

 in birds, amphibious animals and fishes/' 3 Among the names 

 of members present at that council, I find the Honourable 

 Daines Barrington, the Honourable Henry Cavendish, Mr. 

 Maskelyne, Dr. Maty, and Dr. Watson. 4 The medal was 

 delivered to Mr. Hewson at the anniversary meeting of the 

 Society on the 30th of the same month, when his researches 

 were warmly praised by the president, from whose address on 

 the occasion the following extracts are taken. 



" The discoveries which Mr. Hewson has made are in a very 



1 Journal Book of the Royal Society, fol. MS. vol. xxvii, pp. 161-3. 



2 Vol. xxvii, pp. 241-44. 3 Ibid. p. 397. 



4 Minutes of the Council of the Royal Society, fol. MS. vol. vi, pp. 84-5. 



