18 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. I. 



bad habit of beginning his sentence too loud, and 

 dropping his voice too much at the close, and 

 drowning the last and most important words of the 

 statement by a violent thump on the table. I 

 augur that the defence has nothing to offer to bar 

 a conviction ; but one cannot reason upon law 

 as upon anything else.' 



On May 26 Owen was formally appointed 

 Superintendent of the Natural History Depart- 

 ment of the British Museum, and entered upon 

 office on June 8 ; but as his work in connection 

 with the museum is fully detailed in another 

 chapter, we need not dwell on it here. 



It is somewhat surprising that he makes 

 hardly any mention in his letters of the important 

 change which this new appointment made in his 

 mode of life. A brief note about ' taking office 

 at B.M. on Monday,' and ' after seeing Panizzi a 

 few more forms to be got through, all to be ended 

 by Saturday, when at twelve o'clock I make my 

 first bow to the Trustees and receive my formal 

 installation,' are the sole references to the occur- 

 rence. A little later on he remarks (July 26, 



1856):- 



' Willie regards the British Museum as a very 

 superior position, chiefly, I believe, because, just 

 beneath my window, a sunburnt, rough-voiced 

 sergeant musters and turns out with the guard 

 every two hours. . . . Look out for the next 

 number of Blackwood and riddle me out my con- 



