1869-71 THYLACOLEO 211 



tome of his various journeys. I went mainly to 

 see the human skull he brought from Holland.' 



In 1 87 1 Owen was again offered the Presidency 

 of the Geological Society. This he refused, giving 

 as his reasons the increased duties and responsi- 

 bilities of his official position, his advanced age, 

 and declining health. With reference to this 

 event, it is interesting to read the following re- 

 marks from his old friend Sir Philip Egerton, 

 which occur in a letter dated December 22, 1871. 



Skull of Thylacoleo, an Extinct Australian Marsupial 

 described by Owen as a ' Pouched Lion.' ^ Natural size, j 



Sir Philip says : ' I am exceedingly glad for your 

 sake that you have declined the G. S. chair. It 

 would be a great clog round your leg for two 

 years ; ' and, with the characteristic spirit of an 

 old member, he adds : ' The social aspect of the 

 Society is very different nowadays from what it 

 was in the halcyon days of yore.' 



Owen contributed an interesting article this 

 year to ' Blackwood's Magazine,' descriptive of 



p 2 



