1843-44 'BRITISH FOSSIL REPTILES' 207 



CHAPTER VII 



1843-44 



Further Evidence of the Existence of the 'Dinornis' — Second Series 

 of Hunterian Lectures commenced — Member of the Commission 

 of Inquiry into the Health of Towns, 1843-46 — The British 

 Association at York, 1843 — Member of the Literary Club, 1844 

 — Lecture on the ' Dinornis' at the Royal Institution, 1844. 



In January 1843 Owen wrote to his sisters on 

 the subject of the expenses, &c, connected with 

 his work on ' British Fossil Reptiles.' 



1 1 am now hastening,' he said, 'the denoument of 

 my first and probably last speculation in the book- 

 line — viz. my great work on " British Fossil Rep- 

 tiles." The expenses will be 1 ,000/. , of which the 

 British Association have advanced 250/. I print 

 350 copies, and if I get 200 /^V^ subscribers shall 

 clear my expenses, having 150 copies for interest 

 of money sunk and profits. I am sanguine enough 

 to expect no loss. Meanwhile, lithographic and 

 zincographic draughtsmen make frequent calls 

 upon my purse. The pension happily enables me 

 to meet these without difficulty or anxiety .... 

 Grace 1 has witnessed a fortunate fulfilment of one 



1 His youngest sister. 



