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, 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 1851 was that ‘On the Skull of an Adult 
Male Gorilla,’’ and there appeared also Part IV. 
of his ‘ History of British Fossil Reptiles,’ 410. 
In this year also the King of Prussia created 
him a Chevalier of the ‘ Ordre Royal pour le 
Mdrite.’ 
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. 
‘ Monsieur et tres illustre Confrere,— Le Roi 
vientde vousnommer Chevalier de son Ordre Royal 
pour le Merite dans les Sciences et les Arts. La 
publication de votre nomination, Monsieur, ne peut 
' Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. 
