ii2 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. iv. 



a corresponding reaction upon Owen, for he was 

 at first much more nervous than he appeared to 

 be. After one of his early lectures (May 30) his 

 wife writes : ' R. very queer on coming back from 

 lecture ; if he is not better by next lecture I shall 

 try and get it postponed.' On June 8 she says : 

 ' R. was scarcely well enough to lecture to-day 

 owing to a chill which he got last time by stand- 

 ing in the theatre after his lecture. He gets 

 very hot while he is speaking, and then is upset 

 by the after-chill.' However, as Owen became 

 more accustomed to lecturing, his nervousness to 

 a great extent wore off. Soon afterwards Lyell 

 wrote to congratulate him upon his delivery, 

 saying that his voice was so clear and distinct that 

 he could be plainly heard without effort by every- 

 one in the room. ' I always picked out the person 

 whom I saw was in the worst place in the room 

 for hearing,' Owen used to say, • and then I talked 

 at him.' 



On June 9 an account is given in the diary of 

 one of Faraday's lectures : ' To the Royal Insti- 

 tution to hear Faraday lecture. Went with my 

 father, as R. was not well enough to go. In the 

 ante-room I had some conversation with Mr. F., 

 who said this lecture was the last of his course for 

 the season. It was chiefly on arrows and weapons. 

 Faraday showed us the various flints used in dif- 

 ferent times and different countries for arrow-heads, 

 knives, &c. It was most interesting and amusing, 



