•290 Miscellaneous,. 



comparative anatomy. He called my attention more particularly to 

 a tattooed head of a New Zealand Chief, which was presented to 

 him by the Duke of Northumberland, and on which he appeared to 

 set a very high value. 



" His lecture commences every day, except Saturday, at three ; 

 his class did not exceed forty. He stoops considerably, usually 

 wore a shaggy great coat, with a small green velvet cap on his head, 

 his hair hanging in long silvery locks. He was particularly fond of 

 laughing at his own jokes and anecdotes, which he mentioned dur- 

 ing his lecture, sometimes raising his voice to a stentorian pitch, 

 whilst at others it could scarcely be heard. He could read his notes 

 without the assistance of spectacles, and often explained his subject 

 in terms not quite adapted to ' ears polite ;' expressing his asto- 

 nishment or admiration at the wonders of nature in no measured 

 language— making use of a phrase, which, though of very unusual 

 occurrence among us, still is very common among the Germans, — 

 that of " Herr Jesus ;" which is, however, only an expletive, and 

 occupies the place of mon dieu of the French. He exemplified his 

 subject with preparations either dried or in spirits, as well as by 

 plates or drawings ; some of which, from their age and roughness, 

 were very curious. 



" A specimen he valued much, and which he prized above all 

 others, was the fetus of a bear in spirits, which is very rarely seen ; 

 and it was certainly a most misshapen object, of very diminutive 

 size ; it was quite, as the old Professor expressed it, an ' unlicked 

 cub.' Another rather interesting specimen was a young porcupine 

 in spirit, before the quills had commenced growing ; in which he 

 pointed out, on the outer side of the scapula, the two mammas. An 

 ostrich egg, arrived at the full period of incubation, was also curi- 

 ous, where the young bird had half-escaped from its shell : it was 

 of large size, and its neck of very considerable length. He always 

 appeared particularly delighted in mentioning any anecdotes connect- 

 ed with occurrences or incidents he had met with in England ; thus 

 he used to speak of the size and value of the horses employed in 

 the breweries of London, as well as those bred for the turf, or 

 chase, in terms which no doubt excited the surprise, and perhaps, 

 even the unbelief of many of his hearers. 



" On the subject of the turtle, he gave some account of its excel- 

 lencies with respect to the table, saying that when he was in Eng- 

 land, he had seen whole courses served up in various forms and 

 dishes, adding, at the same time, that the dessert consisted entirely 

 of turtle, casting an apparently longing eye on the shell before him, 

 as if he still remembered the bygone repast ! I 



