342 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. x, 



reminiscences of his early life were intimately 

 associated, and we learn the sentiments with 

 which Owen regarded his father-in-law from the 

 interesting ' Obituary Memoir of William Clift ' 

 which he shortly afterwards communicated to the 

 Royal Society. 



In July, Owen received a letter on the subject 

 of the window tax from Travers Twiss, exhort- 

 ing him, in the following terms, to use his influence 

 towards its abolishment. * It has always struck 

 me as rather a cruel provision to tax such 

 ventilators, even when it was not regarded as 

 prejudicial to health. But in the present day, 

 when the State does not hesitate to impose severe 

 duties on individuals as to drainage, ventilation, 

 &c, it seems inconsistent in its not recognising 

 the duty of the State to throw no impediment by 

 its own fiscal regulations in the way of one of the 

 most important branches of domestic ventilation. 

 Can you bring the subject before the proper 

 authorities, or let me know how it should be done ? 

 It would be a politic as well as a proper measure, 

 and the gain is so paltry.' 



On the 2 1 st of this month we have an account 

 of another visit of Prince C. L. Bonaparte to 

 Owen : — 



' R. had gone off to the Gardens, and I was 

 sitting alone at home when I heard a familiar 

 voice asking questions of the servant at the gate. 

 Presently the door opened and the servant an- 



