58 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



and illustrated some doggerel rhyme describing 

 the trip, the last verse of which ran as follows : — 



They went by special steamer (having left their special 



train), 

 Their scalps were all intact and filled with (very) special 



brain ; 

 The people, Mayor, Etablissement, the waiters, wines, and 



" grub " 

 Gave one and all a welcome to our dear old Savage Club. 



Underneath Mackay's sketch appeared the 

 legend : " Here is the veteran ' Savage,' the wily 

 science chief, W. B. Tegetmeier, despatching his 

 trusty messengers with news of the fact that the 

 children of nature (of whom he is the chief est 

 ornament) have sighted the coast of France." 

 The incident goes to show how, when he was 

 interested in a subject, Tegetmeier never lost 

 an opportunity of experimenting, observing, or 

 practising the matter in pursuit. 



The aviary started as a pastime became a 

 scientific columbarium, in which Tegetmeier 

 observed and made those experiments with the 

 various species which were afterwards to afford 

 so much evidence in support of the doctrine of 

 evolution. 



Although he made a reputation as a fancier, 

 and turned his knowledge to useful account, the 

 homer had always been first with him. In 1867, 

 when he was still in close correspondence with 

 Darwin on subjects demanding intimate acquaint- 

 ance with fancy " points," he is to be found 



