BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES, 555 
was afterwards discovered to be represented by a living species in the 
middle island, and proves to be precisely what Owen had predicted 
from the fragments of the skeleton at his command, viz.—a gigantic 
Coot, subgenerically distinct from the nearest allied species of 
Porphyrio. 
Among the numerous researches of Owen on extinct animals may 
be mentioned his descriptions of fossil remains from Australia, in 
which he shows a remarkable group of gigantic marsupials, and 
remains of a gigantic Land Lizard. These descriptions are contained 
in ten papers to the Royal Society, on Fossil Mammals of Australia, 
and in 1877 Owen brought out a book on this subject at his own cost. 
In March, 1882, he gave a description of a tusk which he said 
indicated a species of the largest aboriginal land Mammal of which 
any satisfactory evidence had, hitherto, reached him from Australia. 
In his earlier investigations Owen made frequent use of the 
microscope, and- by this means he was enabled to contribute 
important results to the knowledge of his subject. This is seen in 
his memoir on the Anatomy of the Flamingo, where the first proof is 
presented that there are parasitic plants as well as animals occa 
sionally attached to animal structures, and likewise in his researches. 
on Teeth, as is shown in his comprehensive work—‘“ Odontography ” 
which appeared in 1840-5. In this book he gives illustrations of the 
value of the microscope in the determination of the nature and 
affinities of fossil remains. But latterly he was compelled to give up 
the use of the microscope because of the strain upon his eyes caused 
by this manner of research. . 
As Superintendent of the Natural History Department, to which 
post he was appointed in 1856, Owen was still able to carry on his 
researches and also to give lectures. .For some years he was Lecturer 
on Palxontology in the School of Mines in Jermyn Street, London ; 
and in 1858 he was elected Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the 
Royal Institution of Great Britain; he has also delivered courses of 
lectures to the Royal Family. It was greatly through his exertions 
that the space for the Natural History Collections of the British 
Museum was increased by the erection of the new premises at South 
Kensington, which building was completed in November, 1880, and 
opened to the public on 18th April, 1881. Owen resigned his 
appointment as Superintendent in December, 1883. 
A complete list of the works of Owen was published by the Ray 
Society in the “ Bibliographia Zoologiz et Geologie” (1848-57) ; the 
number of them now exceeds three hundred. In the London “ Quar- 
terly Review” for 1852 and 1853 appeared an extended criticism of 
his works, and to those articles we are indebted for much information 
concerning Owen in connection with his researches. 
Besides all his scientific labours Owen has given assistance in 
inquiries into the health of towns, particularly with reference to his 
native place—Lancaster. He also aided in the organisation of the 
Great Exhibition of London in 1851, as well as that of Paris in 185). 
In 1861 he edited and published the original papers of John Hunter 
—the value of whose collection of specimens he had done so much to 
enhance. 
