144 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. v, 



London at a cost not exceeding 80/., covering all 

 expenses. There is no skeleton of this species in 

 the Museum, and he requests the sanction of the 

 Trustees for the steps he has taken to acquire it 

 for the department of Zoology.' 



There is added as a postscript : — 



' On his return to the Museum, Professor 

 Owen has found a letter from Captain Macdonald, 

 liberally offering to present the bones to the 

 Museum under certain conditions. In acknow- 

 ledging this letter, Professor Owen has begged 

 leave to omit the reference to himself in the pro- 

 posed inscription [of the whale], inasmuch as he 

 had simply performed his duty as an officer of the 

 Trustees in regard to the specimen.' 



In various quarters of the globe Owen had 

 friends who were working to enrich the natural 

 history collection under his charge. He received, 

 in this and the following year, valuable specimens, 

 which were sent him from Africa. The first col- 

 lection was sent by Dr. John Kirk, Livingstone's 

 companion and fellow-traveller ; the second by 

 M. Du Chaillu. 



In December 1863 Dr. Kirk wrote the follow- 

 ing letter to Professor Owen with regard to the 

 specimens which he was sending : — 



' After our last interview the African fever 

 again returned, and haunted me, coming on at the 

 most awkward times when in company, and forcing 

 me to retire to bed. ... I have been to-day at 



