1856-S1 VARIETIES SHOULD BE EXHIBITED 39 



of each class, according to the nature and signi- 

 ficance of the differences that exist. With regard 

 to birds, I must say that not only would I exhibit 

 every species, but I see clearly, in the present 

 phase of natural history philosophy, that we shall 

 be compelled to exhibit varieties also. The whole 

 intellectual world this year has been excited by a 

 book on the origin of species ; and what is the 

 consequence ? Visitors come to the British 

 Museum, and they say, " Let us see all these 

 varieties of pigeons : where is the tumbler, where 

 is the pouter ? " and I am obliged with shame to 

 say, " I can show you none of them ; " b and yet 

 there we give what, we consider, some may think 

 an extravagant space to the pigeons ; but they 

 are the pigeons of the whole world. As to show- 

 ing you the varieties of those species, or any of 

 those phenomena that would aid one in getting at 

 that mystery of mysteries, the origin of species, 

 our space does not permit ; but surely there ought 

 to be space somewhere, and, if not in the British 

 Museum, where is it to be obtained ? ' The chair- 

 man of the committee said to Owen : ' I presume 

 that the persons who make these inquiries are, to 

 a certain extent, scientific persons ? ' to which he 

 replied : ' I must say that the number of intellectual 

 individuals interested in the great question which 



6 The reader will remember and is exhibited in the Central 

 that this detail of Owen's great Hall of the Natural History- 

 scheme has been elaborated by Museum. 

 Professor Sir William Flower, 



