376 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. xi. 



The Copley is an old medal, almost coeval with 

 the Society itself, and is voted annually. It does 

 not always fall to the lot of an Englishman. 

 Leverrier, e.g., had it for his new planet. I was 

 disqualified in a previous year, according to old 

 Dr. Copley's bequest, as I happened to be on the 

 Council. At last I have got it, and so now have 

 two additions to my collections of medals, the 

 second being the very beautiful bronze one struck 

 for the Jurors of the Great Exhibition ' 



The most important paper which Owen pub- 

 lished in 1 85 1 was that ' On the Skull of an Adult 

 Male Gorilla,' l and there appeared also Part IV. 

 of his ' History of British Fossil Reptiles,' 4to. 



In this year also the King of Prussia created 

 him a Chevalier of the ' Ordre Royal pour le 

 Merite.' 



The following is the letter which he received 

 from Baron Humboldt announcing the fact : — 



A Monsieur 



Monsieur Richard Owen, Esq. [sic] 

 London. 

 College of Surgeons, 



Lincoln's Inn Fields. 



1 Monsieur et tres illustre Confrere, — Le Roi 

 vient de vousnommer Chevalier de son Ordre Royal 

 pour le Merite dans les Sciences et les Arts. La 

 publication de votre nomination, Monsieur, ne peut 



1 Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. 



