1850 HIS AIMS AND PROSPECTS 91 



deserve. One of my papers was published in 1849 in the 

 Philosophical Transactions, another in the Zoological Trans- 

 actions, and some more may be published in the Linncean 

 if I like but I think I shall not like. Then I have 

 worked pretty hard, and brought home a considerable 

 amount of drawings and notes about new or rare animals, 

 all particularly nasty slimy things, and they will most 

 likely be published as a separate work by the Royal 

 Society. 



Owen, Forbes, Bell, and Sharpey (the doctor will tell 

 you of what weight these names are) are all members of 

 the committee which disposes of the money, and are all 

 strongly in favour of my " valuable researches " (cock-a- 

 doodle-doo ! !) being published by the Society. From 

 various circumstances I have taken a better position than 

 I could have expected among these grandees, and I find 

 them all immensely civil and ready to help me on, tooth 

 and nail, particularly Prof. Forbes, who is a right good 

 fellow, and has taken a great deal of trouble on my 

 behalf. Owen volunteered to write to the " First Lord " 

 on my behalf, and did so. Sharpey, when I saw him, 

 reminded me, as he always does, of my great contest with 

 Stocks x (do you remember throwing the shoe ?), and 

 promised me all the assistance in his power. Prof. Bell, 

 who is secretary to the Royal, and has great influence, 

 promised to help me in every way, and asked me to dine 

 with him and meet a lot of nobs. I take all these things 

 quite as a matter of course, but am all the while con- 

 siderably astonished. The other day I dined at the 

 Geological Club and met Lyell, Murchison, de la B[eche], 

 Horner, and a lot more, and last evening I dined with a 

 whole lot of literary and scientific people. 



Owen was, in my estimation, great, from the fact of 

 his smoking his cigar and singing his song like a brick. 



I tell you all these things to show you clearly how I 



1 See p. 25. 



