MEMOIR OF THE LATE SIR RICHARD OWEN. 17 



Hardly less keen was the interest which Owen manifested in 

 extinct reptilian forms, many of which he showed to he closely 

 akin to birds ; and his great work on ' British Fossil Keptiles,' 

 published in 1884, in three quarto volumes, profusely illustrated, 

 is regarded by many as his most important contribution to 

 palaeontology. This appeared the year after he had retired from 

 the British Museum, and had seen the accomplishment of his 

 fondest hopes in the erection and opening of the new museum in 

 the Cromwell Boad for the reception of the natural-history 

 collections which were removed from Bloomsbury. It was mainly 

 through his exertions that this scheme was carried out, and 

 although when first proposed in Parliament it met with violent 

 opposition in certain quarters, the wisdom of the step becomes 

 more and more apparent every day. 



The last chapter in a long and busy life was reached when 

 the venerable naturalist at length retired from official work. 

 Having by dint of argument persuaded the country to approve 

 the building of a natural-history museum for the reception and 

 proper display of the national collections, and having filled 

 shelves with the works of his genius for the benefit of future 

 students of nature, he felt that his mission in life had been 

 accomplished, and that he might seek that repose which he 

 had so well earned. In 1852, at the close of the Great Exhibition, 

 in which he had taken an active part as one of the councillors of 

 the Prince Consort, he was staying on a visit at Osborne. On the 

 day of his departure, Prince Albert, thanking him for all the 

 trouble he had taken to carry out his wishes in regard to the 

 Exhibition, enquired whether there was anything he could do for 

 him in return. Owen replied that he was looking about for a 

 house in some retired spot where he might find that quietude 

 which is so essential to deep study, and that there was a little 

 house in Bichmond Park (Sheen Lodge), then vacant, which 

 seemed to him to embody all that could be desired. The Prince 

 ^ promised to make enquiry concerning it, and shortly afterwards 

 v3 wrote to express the gratification which he felt in being able to 

 ^ place it at Owen's disposal, rent free, for life. Here then he resided 

 ri until his death ; and only those who had the privilege of his 

 intimate acquaintance could realize fully his calm enjoyment of 

 the sylvan scenery by which he was surrounded. Seated upon a 

 rustic bench under one of the many old trees amongst which the 



ZOOLOGIST. JAN. 1893. C 



