Promiiioii Yorksliire Workers — Henry Clif/oii Sorbv. 143 



examined Roman, Saxon, and Norman building^s, and this led 

 to a detailed study of the structure of building materials and 

 experiments thereon. The dimensions of bricks used in the 

 buildings of various periods were also carefully worked out. 



Whilst at work on Norman and Saxon architecture he 

 examined various earh' illustrated manuscripts in the British 

 Museum and elsewhere. These showed a varying- length of 

 unit used by the scribes in making manuscripts, a knowledge 

 of which Sorby has shown to be of value in ascertaining where 

 the manuscripts were prepared. ' Some of the early Irish 

 scribes seem to have used the old Greek foot. Other manu- 

 scripts are on the scale of our present English foot, which was 

 used extensively in Saxon times. Very early manuscripts, 

 probably made in Italy, are written to the scale of the old 

 Roman foot ; whereas certain Continental manuscripts are 

 written on the scale of the much larger old French foot.' 



This archceological work led Dr. Sorby to study early 

 cosmogony and geography, and also the archaeology of natural 

 history, in order to explain the origin of ideas with regard to a 

 great number of the more or less mythological animals met with 

 in early art. To carry out this thoroughly, a knowledge of the 

 early Egyptian hieroglyphic language was necessary, and in his 

 characteristically thorough manner, this was mastered. He has 

 gathered together a vast collection of most of the original 

 works of importance bearing on the subject, from the earliest 

 period down to mediaeval times, and he hopes that their study 

 will lead to important conclusions in connection with the history 

 of science and art 



Such is a brief summar}'' of the principal lines of investig"a- 

 tion which ha\'e occupied the attention of Dr. Sorby, who is 

 yet as hard at work as ever. In addition to the work for the 

 Victoria County Histories, and the other items referred to, he 

 is at present busy applying quantitative methods to the study of 

 the structure of almost every geological formation, a work which, 

 when completed, will unquestionably hold a foremost position 

 amongst the many fine achievements that stand to his credit. 



It is only natural that one who has done so much for science 

 should be recognised b}- the scientific world. Honours have 

 deservedly been showered upon him from all parts. He was 

 elected a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1853, a Fellow 

 of the Royal Society in 1857, a corresponding- member of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and of the 

 Lyceum of Natural History of New York in 1858, a member 



1906 May I. 



