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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Referee's report by Edwin Ray Lankester, on a paper 'On the morphology of birds' by William Kitchen Parker

Reference number: RR/10/68

Date: 26 March 1887

Description

Not recommended for publication in the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'. Respects the author but finds him 'singularly devoid of the power of lucid exposition', with papers devoid of new conclusions or significant observations, with poor reference to the work of others. The title of the paper is not reflected in it's contents. Suggests making it known to the author that papers of this type are no longer printed by the Royal Society. Suggests the section on the development of the wing, if reduced in length, be printed. Refers to work of Miss B Lindsay, whose observation of 'a simple and important fact...has surprised [the author] now that it has been discovered by a young lady...Miss Lindsay observed that the shoulder plate of birds develops on each side in three separate tracts of embryonic cartilage. Professor Parker who published a large work on the shoulder girdle of all classes of vertebrata, had actually overlooked this fundamental fact. Can we consider him a highly competent observer? I fear not'. Refers to work of Miss Johnson. 'I do not hesitate to say that the short, clear, straightforward papers of two young ladies...have done more to advance our real knowledge of the morphology of the Bird's skeleton than all the voluminous memoirs and costly plates published by Prof. Parker'.

Subject: Zoology, Physiology

[Published in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society of London', 1887]

Reference number
RR/10/68
Earliest possible date
26 March 1887
Physical description
Letter on paper
Page extent
9 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Edwin Ray Lankester

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Citation

Edwin Ray Lankester, Referee's report by Edwin Ray Lankester, on a paper 'On the morphology of birds' by William Kitchen Parker, 26 March 1887, RR/10/68, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rr_10_68/referees-report-by-edwin-ray-lankester-on-a-paper-on-the-morphology-of-birds-by-william-kitchen-parker, accessed on 09 July 2025

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  • Referee Reports

    This collection contains reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society. Started in 1832 when the system was formalised, it is a record of the origins of peer review publishing in practice.

    Dates: 1832 - 1954

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