Professor Francis Jeffrey Bell (1855–April 1924)

British Zoologist. Born in India (probably Calcutta) the son of Francis Jeffrey Bell and Barbara A Bell. He began his studies at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1874, graduating with a BA in Natural Sciences in 1878 and MA in 1880. Upon graduation he started work at the British Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology (appointed 2nd class assistant 12 Aug 1878, 1st class assistant 22 Jan 1887) specialising in echinoderms. In 1892 he published Catalogue of British Echinoderms in the British Museum. Bell wrote reports on the echinoderms from the Alert, Southern Cross and Discovery expeditions. He retired from the British Museum of Natural History in 1919. From 1879 - 1896 he was also Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Kings College London, publishing 1885 the Manual of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology. In 1880 he was elected a member of the Physiological Society and regularly attended their meetings.