40 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. IV. 
Wappiti stag had forced open the wooden door 
which separated them, and gored the poor creature 
so horribly as to oblige the keeper to put it out of 
its misery.’ 
'November i. — R. at the British Museum 
with Lord Northampton, who had written to R. 
for an appointment. It was to examine a fossil 
which has evidently puzzled people. It proved 
to be the cartilaginous rays of the fins of an enor- 
mous fish denuded of the connected membrane.’ 
‘ 6 th . — A visit from Dr. and Mrs. Buckland 
and their two eldest boys, a friend, and a couple 
of live marmots ; both the Doctor and Mrs. 
Buckland looking all the better for their German 
tour. The Doctor sat on the sofa with the two 
marmots and his bag on his lap. They were all 
going to Drury Lane. I don’t know whether the 
marmots are going too ! ’ 
‘ \ — R. very busy over the muscles of the 
apteryx. When finished, he sat up till three read- 
ing “ Gilbert Gurney Married.” ’ 
On November 24 Owen received the news 
from Lancaster of the illness of his mother, and 
set off at once to his sisters. He wrote a short 
note to his wife, dated Lancaster, Sunday, one 
o’clock, November 25, 1838 ; — 
‘As 1 anticipated, my poor mother’s sleep 
proved to be her last ; she never revived more 
than to be conscious of the little kind offices 
done to ease her position and breathing and to sip 
