1893.] Scientific News. 83 
Sir Richard Owen died December 18. He was born at Lancaster 
on July 20,1804. He received his early education in his native town, 
and at the age of 20 he began a medical course in the University of 
Edinburgh. He completed his studies in London and Paris medical 
schools. | 
When 30 years old he was appointed to the chair of comparative 
anatomy at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and two years later he suc- 
ceeded Sir Charles Bell as Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in 
the College of Surgeons. He held the latter place for twenty years, 
leaving it only to take charge of the Department of Natural History 
in the British Museum. 
He had the Cross of the Legion of Honor, was a Chevalier of the 
Prussian Order of Merit, and was one of the eight foreign associates 
of the French Institute. He was created a commander of the Bath 
in 1873, and subsequently was made K.C. B. Sir Richard Owen was 
the successor of Cuvier as the leader in the progressive advance of the 
science of comparative anatomy. He filled up many of the gaps 
unavoidably left by the great Frenchman, which he was enabled to do 
by the opening up of many parts of the world by British commercial 
and colonial enterprise. His contributions to paleontology are even 
more important, his researches having covered regions that Cuvier 
could not in his day reach. , Antarctic paleontology was founded by 
him, for South America, South Africa and Australia yielded their 
treasures to him first of all. Besides being an accurate observer and 
describer he was a good systematist, many of the current terms of 
zoology having originated with him. In generalizations of a higher 
grade he was not active; the doctrine of evolution having arrived 
rather late to get that attention from him which its earlier advent 
would have secured. 
Owen was a tall and stalwart man of spare habit. He was charac- 
terized by a mental and physical tenacity, which was exhibited in his 
psychic structure in the great difficulty he experienced in changing 
an opinion he had once formed. He was fond of diplomacy, and 
could dissect an adversary crosswise of the grain in the most bland and 
sympathetic manner imaginable. 
Prof. J. T. Rothrock has resigned from the faculty of the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania, and will occupy the position of Secretary of the 
Forestry Commission of Pennsylvania. 
What is an Acquired Character ?—A Correction.—In the 
December number of THe Natura.ist, page 1010, occurs about as 
