180 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. vi. 



recently acquired French " Nautilus pompilius." 

 R. is very glad that this specimen should have 

 been examined in Paris, rather than by him again, 

 for it has fully proved the accuracy and value 

 of his description of the first specimen. The 

 position of the nautilus with regard to the shell is 

 now proved to be correct in R.'s plate, and De 

 Blainville, who, with one or two others, insisted 

 upon its being wrong, now says : " Je n'ai pas 

 hesite a reconnaitre, quoi qu'on en ait dit, que vous 

 avez parfaitement saisi les rapports de l'animal 

 avec la coquille." ' 



The following incident is recorded in the 

 diary : — 



' Febrtuxry 26. — Went with R. to see Joanna 

 Baillie. 1 Miss Maria Edgeworth was there. 

 We took Willie with us, who began to fidget after 

 he had finished his tea. Joanna Baillie said to 

 him, " Are you very tired of us?" and was 

 delighted to hear him answer honestly, " Yes." ' 



Of Owen's great affection for his son we have 

 constant evidence in his letters. Indeed, in 

 scarcely any letter written at this period to his 

 wife or sisters does he omit to speak of him. 



'March 27. — Lord Northampton's evening 

 party. Richard very tired, and thought he would 

 not go, but about eight Dr. Buckland looked in, 

 bag and all, and said, " Oh, you had better come." 

 So after some dinner R. felt better, and they 



1 Poetess, and surviving relative of John Hunter. 



