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THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [January 



he became Curator of the Museum aud Lecturer of Comparative 

 Anatomy. Whilst thus occupied he published a work on " Diagrams 

 of the Nerves of the Human Body," and contributed an article to 

 Holmes' " System of Surgery," besides other contributions to various 

 medical journals. 



In 1858 he married the youngest daughter of Admiral W. H. 

 Smith, the astronomer and hydrographer. 



In 1861 he was appointed to the important office of Conservator of 

 the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons (the Hunterian 

 Museum), and from this period devoted himself to scientific pursuits. 

 In 1869 on the the retirement of Professor Huxley, Mr. Flower 

 accepted the Hunterian Professorship of Comparative Anatomy and 

 Physiology ; his principal literary contributions during the tenure of 

 this office being lectures on " The Osteology of the Mammalia," and 

 on " The Comparative Anatomy of Man," besides various papers on 

 Osteological subjects. 



Professor Flower was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 

 1864, has served several times on the Council, and was Vice-President 

 in 1884-5. He became President of the Zoological Society in 1879, 

 having been many years previously a member of the Council and one 

 of the Vice-Presidents. 



It would occupy too much space to follow in detail the various 

 offices held by Professor Flower in scientific and learned societies, 

 and we therefore pass on to his appointment on the [resignation of Sir 

 Richard Owen, as Director of the Natural History Museum at South 

 Kensington. 



No one can deny that the knowledge and experience gained by 

 Prof. Flower as Conservator of the Hunterian Museum, had eminently 

 fitted him to fill this important office, and it may safely be said 

 that the South Kensington Museum, as it it now exists, owes a great 

 deal to the administrative qualities and discriminating judgment of 

 its present director, aided of course by the staff of specialists under 

 his command. In the great hall we have the statue of Darwin, to 

 which is attached a curious little history. It would appear that the 

 only guide afforded to the sculptor was a photograph taken at 

 Darwin's home. The said photograph is now in the possession of 

 Professor Flower, who kindly produced it at a recent visit, for our 

 inspection. The representations of bird life in natural surroundings, 

 besides other features of Zoology and Botany, are highly instructive 

 to students of all ages. It may briefly be said that many of the 

 departments of Natural History study in the museum cannot be 

 surpassed. There is one thing which we might perhaps point out as 

 likely to be beneficial to the masses who visit the museum during 



