1837-38 CORRESPONDENCE WITH SIR G. GREY 117 



windows after the demise of his late most gracious 

 Majesty and Patron of the College, and also wore 

 mourning no less becoming to herself than to the 

 melancholy occasion. Fifthly, Mrs. O.'s kitchen 

 chimney still smokes, contrary to the directions 

 of the late Chairman of the Board and the wishes 

 of the Trustees. I cannot get on ; it's no use .... 

 And my pen is most obstinate ; and what exceeds 

 the perversity of a steel pen ? ' 



He returned to the College of Surgeons early 

 in August. From a friendly letter which he 

 received at this time from (Sir) George Grey, 

 written from Teneriffe, he hears that the skull of 

 a guancho (an aboriginal of the Canary Islands) 

 will be sent to him in due course for his museum 

 at the College of Surgeons. Owen's correspon- 

 dence with Grey was intermittent ; but the latter 

 was apparently always on the look-out for speci- 

 mens, and nearly every letter from him contains 

 the mention of something he was sending. 



At the beginning of September Owen was 

 made a member of the Imperial Academy of 

 Sciences at Moscow. 



Amongst other notices in the journal relative 

 to his occupation and amusements during this 

 month may be mentioned the following : — 



' Went to hear Mendelssohn's " St. Paul " at 

 the Exeter Hall. The Birmingham people will 

 not allow him to conduct personally. The crowd 

 was enormous, but we got good seats in the 



