184 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. VI. 
July 7. — A sister-in-law of Sir John FrankliN 
came to see me, bringing with her a thing which 
she had been told was an unborn kangaroo. She 
was hesitating about bringing such an “ indelicate ” 
subject to a gentleman, &c., &c., when I set her 
mind at rest by assuring her that the kangaroo 
had not only been born, but had certainly lived 
for some time, as I soon saw. She told me her 
sister. Lady Franklin, had given it to her. As it 
was a Microscopical night, R. was dining at the 
Athenaeum.’ 
‘ 20th. — R. spent his birthday in going over 
with my father to Kew, in order to examine the 
collection of Hunterian preparations there, with 
regard to their coming to the College. R. is 
very busy now, preparing his “ Report on British 
Fossil Reptiles,” Part II., which is to be read 
in about a week’s time at the meeting of the 
British Association at Plymouth.’ 
On the 27th of this month Owen and his wife 
started from London and arrived at Southampton 
in the evening, where they took the boat to 
Plymouth. The next day they both visited the 
‘ Geological Section ’ of the British Association, 
where they heard speeches from Sedgwick and 
Dr. Buckland. On August 2, with De la Beche 
in the chair, Owen read his ‘ Report on British 
Fossil Reptiles,’ speaking for two hours and a half. 
Amongst his audience were Lord Northampton, 
Sedgwick, Conybeare, Sir T. Acland, &c. After 
