246 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. vn. 



appearance by their action upon light. A slice 

 was ordered from the round, and the microscope 

 unpacked and mounted in the drawing-room. . . . 

 I then showed the globules of the blood and ex- 

 plained how they united together to form the 

 fibre ; the party round the table consisted of 

 Lords Villars and Aylesbury, Drs. Buckland and 

 Playfair, and Messrs. Stephenson and Wheatstone. 

 Whilst we were in the midst of the exhibition 

 and discussion, Sir Robert entered the library and 

 joined us ; they began to explain what we had 

 been seeing, and he sat down to examine the 

 objects ... He seemed much interested in the 

 subject, and said he must bring Lady Peel to see 

 them. . . . After [lunch] there was a unanimous 

 adjournment to the microscope again, and great 

 amusement was occasioned by examining the 

 blood globules of the different gentlemen. . . . 

 Sir Robert (he always devotes from one to four 

 or five in his study) brought back a bottle of 

 thawed pond water to see if it contained any 

 living infusoria, and was delighted to find the 

 first drop taken up by the point of a pencil 

 swarmed with them, gliding about in the field 

 of view. . . .' 



The interest which Sir Robert Peel derived 

 from Owen's visit is shown in the following letter 

 which he wrote to Dr. Buckland : — 



4 You saw the portrait of Cuvier, and know 

 that I am building a gallery for the reception of 



