1846-47 COMBINATION OF COLLECTIONS 281 



dead, exterior, and anatomical — in one great con- 

 nected establishment. 



' All the recent and fossil zoology of the British 

 Museum would come to this. The mineralogy 

 would naturally be transferred to the Government 

 Museum of Economic Geology, soon, I hope, to 

 develop itself into our National School of Mines. 

 The British Museum would then be left free for the 

 full extension of the departments which concern 

 intellectual man. But I fear I have trespassed 

 already too far on your patience ; any further 

 information I may be able to give will be most 

 readily at your service, and I remain, dear Lord 

 Francis, very faithfully yours, 



' Richard Owen.' 



Owen had one or two interviews with the Pre- 

 mier with regard to this scheme. ' On March 29 

 R. went by appointment to Sir Robert Peel's, 

 in order to impress upon him the necessity of 

 the College having Government help if they are 

 to carry on the thing properly, or else that the 

 collection should be made part of a great whole. 

 He says the Premier looks terribly overworked.' 



A visit to Dr. Buckland in his new residence 

 as Dean of Westminster is thus described : ' We 

 found the Doctor almost lost amidst heaps of 

 boxes, packages, and lumber — the children 

 delighted with the move. The Deanery is a 

 dark, rambling place. R. raced about after the 



