224 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. vm. 



letter that Mr. Robert Lowe (Lord Sherbrooke), 

 when Chancellor of the Exchequer, was one of 

 the earliest to see the importance of properly- 

 organised lectures on natural history subjects 

 at the Museum. Even now there is no lecture 

 theatre : — 



ii Downing Street, Whitehall : July 14, 1873. 



' Dear Sir, — With reference to the memo- 

 randum you sent to the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer, I am desired to say that he would be 

 much obliged if you would be good enough to tell 

 him if the plan of the Natural History Museum, 

 now in course of building, comprises a theatre for 

 a lecture-room. It has been represented to Mr. 

 Lowe that no provision of the kind has been 

 made, and he is desirous of ascertaining for 

 certain whether or not what appears to him to 

 be a serious omission has been made. He would 

 also be glad to be favoured with any observations 

 you may have to make in reference to this 

 matter. . . . 



1 Yours very faithfully, 



1 E. W. Hamilton.' 



In a letter to his friend Pearson Langshaw, 

 November 2, Owen mentions that his sister has 

 come to live with him and keep house at Sheen 

 Lodge. He says she ' has now settled down very 

 comfortably in her new home, and has made it less 

 lonely for me. ... I dined yesterday with good 



