246 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. VII. 
appearance by their action upon light. A slice 
was ordered from the round, and the microscope 
unpacked and mounted in the drawing-room. . . . 
I then showed the globules of the blood and ex- 
plained how they united together to form the 
fibre ; the party round the table consisted of 
Lords Villars and Aylesbury, Drs. Buckland and 
Playfair, and Messrs. Stephenson and Wheatstone. 
Whilst we were in the midst of the exhibition 
and discussion. Sir Robert entered the library and 
joined us ; they began to explain what we had 
been seeing, and he sat down to examine the 
objects . . . He seemed much interested in the 
subject, and said he must bring Lady Peel to see 
them. . . . After [lunch] there was a unanimous 
adjournment to the microscope again, and great 
amusement was occasioned by examining the 
blood globules of the different gentlemen. . . • 
Sir Robert (he always devotes from one to four 
or five in his study) brought back a bottle of 
thawed pond water to see if it contained any 
living infusoria, and was delighted to find the 
first drop taken up by the point of a pencil 
swarmed with them, gliding about in the field 
of view. . . 
The interest which Sir Robert Peel derived 
from Owen’s visit is shown in the following letter 
which he wrote to Dr. Buckland : — 
‘ Y ou saw the portrait of Cuvier, and knoW 
that I am building a gallery for the reception of 
