1876-82.] BRESSA PRIZE. 225 



Again in 1879 he received from the Royal Academy of 

 Turin the Bressa Prize for the years 1875-78, amounting 

 to the sum of 12,000 francs. In the following year he 

 received on his birthday, as on previous occasions, a kind 

 letter of congratulation from Dr. Dohrn of Naples. In 

 writing (February I5th) to thank him and the other 

 naturalists at the Zoological Station, my father added : 



"Perhaps you saw in the papers that the Turin Society 

 honoured me to an extraordinary degree by awarding me 

 the Bressa Prize. Now it occurred to me that if your station 

 wanted some piece of apparatus, of about the value of 100, 

 I should very much like to be allowed to pay for it. Will 

 you be so kind as to keep this in mind, and if any want 

 should occur to you, I would send you a cheque at any 

 time." 



I find from my father's accounts that 100 was presented 

 to the Naples Station. 



He received also several tokens of respect and sympathy of 



a more private character from various sources. With regard 



to such incidents, and to the estimation of the public generally, 



, his attitude may be illustrated by a passage from a letter to 



Mr. Romanes :* 



"You have indeed passed a most magnificent eulogium 

 upon me, and I wonder that you were not afraid of hearing 

 * oh ! oh ! ' or some other sign of disapprobation. Many 

 persons think that what I have done in science has been 

 much overrated, and I very often think so myself; but my 

 comfort is that I have never consciously done anything to 

 gain applause. Enough and too much about my dear self." 



Among such expressions of regard he valued very highly 

 the two photographic albums received from Germany and 

 Holland on his birthday, 1877. Herr Emil Rade of Mlinster, 

 originated the idea of the German birthday gift, and under- 



* The lecture referred to was given at the Dublin meeting of the 

 British Association. 



VOL. III. O 



