Sir Edwin Ray Lankester was a British zoologist.
Sir E. Ray Lankester in 1908
Portion of a ripe ovary of Sepia (cuttlefish) showing ova of various sizes and some empty capsules c, c. From Contributions to the developmental history of the Mollusca.
Sir Edwin Ray Lankester in 1918
The Copley Medal is the most prestigious award of the Royal Society, conferred "for sustained, outstanding achievements in any field of science". It alternates between the physical sciences or mathematics and the biological sciences. Given annually, the medal is the oldest Royal Society medal awarded and the oldest surviving scientific award in the world, having first been given in 1731 to Stephen Gray, for "his new Electrical Experiments: – as an encouragement to him for the readiness he has always shown in obliging the Society with his discoveries and improvements in this part of Natural Knowledge". The medal is made of silver-gilt and awarded with a £25,000 prize.
The Copley Medal awarded to George Stokes in 1893 (obverse)
Reverse
Image: John Theophilus Desaguliers
Image: John Theophilus Desaguliers