194 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Nov. 30, 



the results of pendulum experiments and those derived from geodesy, 

 and is generally accepted as the best approximation hitherto attained 

 as to the figure of the earth. 



The accounts of these investigations have been published in a 

 number of memoirs, several of which have been communicated to the 

 Royal Society. 



In 1880 he published a book on Geodesy, which, besides giving an 

 accurate account of that science, embodies the main results of the 

 work of his life. 



In the biological division of the sciences the Royal Medal has this 

 year been awarded to Professor Henry N. Moseley for his numerous 

 researches in animal morphology, and especially his investigations on 

 Corals and on Peripatus. 



The result of his elaborate investigations on corals, an account of 

 which has been published in the ' Philosophical Transactions,' was to 

 show that the Milleporidae and the Stylasteridse were not, as had been 

 thought, Anthozoan in nature, but were composite coral- forming 

 hydroids. Many new genera and species were described by him in 

 these memoirs, and in fact not merely was a new group of organisms, 

 the Hydrocorallinse, indicated, but the complete morphology and 

 systematic subdivisions of that order were worked out. 



Moseley's memoir on Peripatus is not less remarkable. He was 

 the first to point out the true nature of this remarkable animal, and 

 to demonstrate that it was in reality an archaic Arthropod. The sub- 

 sequent investigations of Balfour and Sedgwick have further increased 

 the importance of Moseley's discovery. 



Moseley's memoir on the Land Planarians of Ceylon (' Phil. 

 Trans.,' 1872) is an important contribution to the anatomy of the 

 Turbellaria. He was the first to apply the method of section-cutting 

 to the Planarians, and his paper is full of new facts of great import- 

 ance, which have stood the test of subsequent work over the same 

 ground. 



Besides these three great memoirs published in the 1 Philosophical 

 Transactions,' Moseley has published numerous minor discoveries, 

 and his spectroscopic observations on the colouring matters of marine 

 organisms have proved the starting-point of valuable investigations. 



Mention must not be omitted of Moseley's admirable book, ' Notes 

 of a Naturalist on the "Challenger,"' which has been justly com- 

 pared, for the varied ability, interest, and activity which it evinces on 

 the part of the author, to Darwin's 'Voyage of the " Beagle." ' 



Since the date of the works above referred to, Moseley has been 

 chiefly active in the discharge of his duties as Linacre Professor, and 

 the success with which he has directed the work of his pupils is 

 evinced by the important memoirs on zoological subjects which several 

 of them have produced whilst working under his direction. He has 



