1824-33 THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS 33 



with William Clift, at that time Conservator 

 of the College museum. As assistant to the 

 Conservator, Owen was engaged at a quarterly 

 payment of 30/. Two years later this salary was 

 increased to 150/. per annum, but he held the 

 position only * during the pleasure of the Board 

 of Curators.' 



When first appointed Owen found at the 

 museum no adequate catalogue of any depart- 

 ment, either MS. or printed. 



The patience of the trustees and of the public, 

 which the promises of Sir Everard Home had 

 tried for twenty-five years, had become exhausted. 

 Owen's first difficult task, therefore, was to prepare 

 a descriptive catalogue of the collections which 

 had been transferred by Government from John 

 Hunter's temporary museum in Castle Street 

 to the College of Surgeons. This collection, 

 wrote Owen in his diary, * consisted of un- 

 dissected specimens in spirits, the majority of 

 which had been presented by Mr. (afterwards 

 Sir Joseph) Banks to John Hunter, who had 

 supplied Banks with large stoppered bottles of 

 alcohol, for any soft animals captured during the 

 circumnavigatory voyage of Captain Cook.' 



On hearing of his appointment as Assistant 

 Curator, his mother writes to him on March 12, 

 1827, from Lancaster, that she is 'thankful to 

 have a son who has been such a credit to his 

 family,' and that she ' has no doubt but that he 



vol. 1. D 



