Vol.  49.]  AXXIVEE8AEY  ADDEESS  OF  TBTE  PEESIDEXT.  49 
Prof.  Owen's  connexion  with  the  College  of  Surgeons  terminated 
in  1856,  when  he  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  Natural 
History  Department  in  the  British  Museum,  a  post  which  he  was 
the  first  to  occupy  and  which  he  filled  with  so  much  ability  for 
twenty-eight  years.  The  great  event  of  his  reign  was  the  transfer 
of  the  collections  from  Bloomsbury  to  South  Kensington.  His 
efforts  to  obtain  more  accommodation  for  the  accumulating  material, 
and  how  he  was  thwarted  by  one  set  of  politicians  and  encouraged 
by  another,  are  matters  of  history.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  money 
was  ultimately  voted  and  the  plans  drawn  out,  though  his  bio¬ 
grapher  will  probably  repudiate  responsibility  on  Owen’s  part  for  the 
peculiarities  of  that  remarkable  building.  On  Easter  Monday,  1881, 
the  new  Museum  of  Natural  History  was  opened  for  the  first  time 
to  the  public. 
Prof.  Owen  received  the  Knight-Commandership  of  the  Bath  on 
resigning  the  post  of  Director  in  1884,  and  thereafter  he  lived  more 
or  less  in  retirement  at  his  prettily  situated  residence  in  Kichmond 
Park,  which  had  been  assigned  to  him  by  Her  Majesty  in  1852. 
There,  we  are  told,  it  was  his  pleasure  to  receive  his  numerous 
friends  and  such  foreign  visitors  as  were  desirous  of  enjoying  the 
society  and  reminiscences  of  the  clever  and  entertaining  old  savant. 
And  thus  was  spent  the  evening  of  his  long  and  useful  life,  in  fairly 
robust  health  and  in  the  full  possession  of  his  faculties.  When  the 
last  days  came,  his  strong  constitution  delayed  for  long  the  inevit¬ 
able  hour,  and  he  finally  passed  away  on  December  18th,  1892,  in 
the  89th  year  of  his  age. 
The  Council  at  the  ensuing  meeting  deputed  Prof.  Judd  and 
Dr.  Hicks  to  represent  the  Society  at  the  funeral,  and  a  resolution 
of  condolence  was  likewise  passed  and  communicated  to  the  late 
Professor’s  grandson.  Sir  Bichard  Owen  having  expressed  a  desire 
to  be  buried  in  Ham  churchyard,  the  funeral  took  place  there  on 
the  23rd  December.  Amongst  those  present  was  the  Duke  of  Teck, 
who  placed  on  the  coffin  a  wreath  in  token  of  sincere  admiration 
and  affection  on  his  own  part  and  that  of  the  Duchess.  The  scien¬ 
tific  societies  and  many  other  public  institutions  were  represented 
by  officers  specially  deputed  to  attend.  A  few  days  afterwards  a 
preliminary  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Sir  James  Paget  to 
consider  what  steps  should  be  taken  with  regard  to  a  suitable 
memorial,  when  it  was  decided  that  a  committee  should  be  formed 
to  make  the  necessary  preparations.  Subsequently  the  Prince  of 
Wales  consented  to  become  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  and  a 
