1855-56 THE PHGENIX 5 



was respectfully requested as to whether such was 

 the case, or, if not, from what bird's beak the bowl 

 had been made. 



' After some research in the museum I found 

 the head and beak of the bird which must have 

 yielded such a bowl as that of the Sultan's ladle. 

 The bird is a very rare one, a native of Ceylon, 

 and called the " Helmeted Hornbill," or Buceros 

 galeatus. Sir Joseph Banks had presented a 

 specimen of it. The head and beak were brought 

 into my study and handed to the Oriental. He 

 examined it very deftly, comparing the beak with 

 the bowl, and then exclaimed with astonishment 

 and reverence, " God is great ! That surely is the 

 bird ! " I took a large sheet of paper, and wrote 

 a brief certificate of the nature and country of the 

 bird from which the Sultan's ladle had been made, 

 and gave it to the Turk, requesting the inter- 

 preter to write down the name and titles of the 

 individual to whom the precious article had been 

 entrusted. It was as follows : " Mohammed Abu 

 Said, Chief Spoon and Ladle-maker to the Com- 

 mander of the Faithful." 



' So much for the phcenix.' 



On April 20 Owen attended the opening cere- 

 mony of the Crystal Palace, which had been removed 

 to Sydenham. It is thus described in the diary : 

 1 To London Bridge about eleven. Babbage in our 

 carriage ; crowd tremendous. We kept together 

 till fairly in the Palace. R. could not find his 



