178 LIFE OF TEGETMETER 



Among the ornaments are some curious Spanish 

 plates and two rare Dutch pots of green ware 

 recently discovered in the neighbourhood of 

 Rotterdam. In his study, where there is barely 

 room to sit down, so great is the collection of 

 miscellaneous books and papers, are several 

 natural history specimens. In an old band-box, 

 hidden awav in a corner, is a collection of chicken 

 bones ..." 



Though not an autograph collector in the 

 ordinary sense, Tegetmeier in the course of his 

 life gathered a good number of signatures of 

 distinguished or interesting people with whom he 

 came in contact. Of his collection of Darwin's 

 letters to himself I have already spoken, and 

 reference has been made to his unique collection 

 of autographs and signed sketches in his copy of 

 the original edition of In Memoriam. It was begun 

 in 1870, and this is how he himself describes 

 its origin, in the " Reminiscences " he gave in 

 lieu of the usual ornamental menu, at his eighty- 

 fourth birthday dinner at the Savage Club on 

 November 10th, 1900 : " Thirty years ago I 

 chanced in the Club to be reading Tennyson's 

 In Memoriam, when Frank Vizitelly, who died 

 recently — it is supposed in the wilds of the Soudan 

 — came to bid his fellow members farewell, and 

 I asked him to sign his name on one of the 

 numerous blank spaces of the book. He did 

 so, and, having the name of one member of the 



