﻿Xl 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OE 
  THE 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SOCIETY. 
  [May 
  1897, 
  

  

  for 
  an 
  exhaustive 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Fossil 
  Crinoids, 
  a 
  task 
  to 
  

   which 
  I 
  was 
  further 
  urged 
  by 
  my 
  much-mourned 
  friend, 
  Herbert 
  

   Carpenter. 
  I 
  estimated 
  that 
  the 
  work 
  would 
  take 
  15 
  years. 
  Half 
  

   that 
  time 
  has 
  now 
  passed, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  dealt 
  with 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  genera 
  

   from 
  a 
  single 
  formation. 
  The 
  preliminary 
  studies 
  and 
  other 
  duties, 
  

   to 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  which 
  you, 
  Sir, 
  so 
  kindly 
  alluded, 
  have 
  contracted 
  the 
  

   time 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  within 
  bounds 
  that 
  I 
  long 
  to 
  enlarge. 
  It 
  is 
  

   the 
  more 
  encouraging 
  that 
  my 
  fellow-workers 
  should 
  honour 
  thus 
  

   highly 
  the 
  little 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  done, 
  for 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  ashamed 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  

   the 
  thought 
  of 
  these 
  awards 
  has 
  been, 
  and 
  will 
  be, 
  

   ' 
  a 
  spur 
  to 
  prick 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  my 
  intent.' 
  

  

  The 
  student 
  of 
  science, 
  however, 
  should 
  not 
  think 
  overmuch 
  of 
  

   contemporary 
  applause. 
  If 
  a 
  palaeontologist, 
  he 
  must 
  wrestle 
  with 
  

   his 
  fossils, 
  nor 
  let 
  them 
  go 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  yielded 
  all 
  their 
  secrets. 
  

   Laborious 
  investigation, 
  precise 
  description, 
  accurate 
  and 
  detailed 
  

   drawings 
  : 
  these 
  are 
  indispensable 
  if 
  he 
  is 
  to 
  receive 
  aught 
  but 
  

   abuse 
  from 
  a 
  posterity 
  even 
  more 
  critical 
  than 
  ourselves. 
  In 
  the 
  

   continuance 
  of 
  work 
  that 
  strives, 
  however 
  ineffectually, 
  to 
  have 
  

   this 
  character, 
  the 
  present 
  Award 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  material 
  and 
  a 
  welcome 
  

   aid. 
  

  

  Award 
  of 
  the 
  Murchison 
  Medal. 
  

  

  In 
  presenting 
  the 
  Murchison 
  Medal 
  to 
  Horace 
  B. 
  Woodward, 
  

   Esq., 
  F.K.S., 
  the 
  President 
  addressed 
  him 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Woodward, 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  Council 
  have 
  this 
  year 
  adjudged 
  you 
  the 
  Murchison 
  Medal, 
  

   with 
  the 
  sum 
  of 
  Ten 
  Guineas, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  peculiarly 
  appropriate 
  that 
  the 
  

   Award 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  for 
  so 
  many 
  years 
  zealously 
  

   worked 
  on 
  that 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  which 
  Sir 
  Boderick 
  Murchison, 
  

   the 
  founder 
  of 
  the 
  Medal, 
  so 
  long 
  and 
  ably 
  directed. 
  It 
  may 
  not 
  

   be 
  generally 
  known 
  that, 
  like 
  your 
  esteemed 
  father, 
  the 
  late 
  

   Dr. 
  S. 
  P. 
  Woodward, 
  F.G.S. 
  (who 
  was 
  our 
  Sub-curator 
  in 
  1839), 
  

   you 
  also 
  commenced 
  your 
  geological 
  career 
  (in 
  November 
  1863) 
  as 
  

   an 
  Assistant 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Society, 
  at 
  Somerset 
  

   House. 
  During 
  the 
  past 
  30 
  years 
  of 
  your 
  labours 
  as 
  a 
  field- 
  

   geologist, 
  on 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  England 
  and 
  Wales, 
  your 
  

   experiences 
  have 
  been 
  most 
  varied. 
  From 
  Newton 
  Abbot 
  and 
  

  

  