Xll 



sented by a few skeletons and skulls placed in a corner of the great 

 gallery devoted to the osteology of the Mammalia, and the fine series 

 of Cetacean skeletons could only be accommodated in a most unsuit- 

 able place for exhibition in a part of the basement not originally 

 destined for any such purpose. The truth is that the division of the 

 museum establishment into four distinct departments, each with its 

 own head, left the " superintendent " practically powerless, and 

 Owen's genius did not lie in the direction of such a reorganisation as 

 might have been effected during the critical period of the removal of 

 the collections from Bloornsbury and their installation in the new 

 building. Advancing age, also, probably indisposed him to encounter 

 the difficulties which inevitably arise from interference with time- 

 honoured traditions. At length, at the close of the year 1883, being 

 in his eightieth year, he asked to be relieved from the responsibilities 

 of an office the duties of which he had practically ceased to perform. 



The nine remaining years of his life were spent in peaceful retire- 

 ment at Sheen Lodge, an ideal residence for one who had such a keen 

 enjoyment of the charms of nature in every form, for, though so large a 

 portion of his active life had been passed among dry bones, anatomical 

 specimens, microscopes, and books, he retained a genuine love for out 

 door natural history, and the sight of the deer and other animals in 

 the park, the birds and insects in the garden, the trees, flowers, and 

 varying aspects of the sky, filled him with enthusiastic admiration. 

 He also had his library around him, and it is needless to say that the 

 habit of strenuous work never deserted him till failing memory and 

 bodily infirmity made it no longer possible to continue that flow of 

 contributions to scientific literature which had never ceased during a 

 period of sixty-two years, his first and last papers being dated respec- 

 tively 1826 and 1888. His wife and only son had died some time 

 bafore, but the son (who had held an appointment in the Foreign 

 Office) left a widow and seven children, who, coming to reside with 

 him at Sheen, completely relieved his latter days of the solitude in 

 which they would otherwise have been passed. During the summer 

 of 1892 his strength gradually failed, and he died on the 18th of 

 December, literally of old age. In accordance with his own expressed 

 desire, he was buried in the churchyard of Ham, near Richmond, in 

 the same grave with his wife, a large and representative assemblage 

 of men of science being present at the funeral ceremony. 



It may be thought that the prodigious amount of work that Owen 

 did in his special subjects would have left him no time for any other 

 occupations or relaxations, but this was by no means the case. He 

 was a great reader of poetry and romance, and could repeat by heart, 

 even in his old age, page after page of Milton and other favourite 

 authors, for he was gifted with a wonderful memory. For music he 

 had a positive passion ; in the most busy period of his life he might 



