PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. I. 
i8 
bad habit of beginning his sentence too loud, and 
dropping his voice too much at the close, and 
drowning the last and most important words of the 
statement by a violent thump on the table. I 
augur that the defence has nothing to offer to bar 
a conviction ; but one cannot reason upon law 
as upon anything else.’ 
On May 26 Owen was formally appointed 
Superintendent of the Natural History Depart- 
ment of the British Museum, and entered upon 
office on June 8 ; but as his work in connection 
with the museum is fully detailed in another 
chapter, we need not dwell on it here. 
It is somewhat surprising that he makes 
hardly any mention in his letters of the important 
change which this new appointment made in his 
mode of life. A brief note about ‘ taking office 
at B.M. on Monday,’ and ‘ after seeing Panizzi a 
few more forms to be got through, all to be ended 
by Saturday, when at twelve o’clock I make my 
first bow to the Trustees and receive my formal 
installation, are the sole references to the occur- 
rence. A little later on he remarks (July 26 
1856);— 
‘ Willie regards the British Museum as a very 
superior position, chiefly, I believe, because, just 
beneath my window, a sunburnt, rough-voiced 
sergeant musters and turns out with the guard 
every two hours. . . . Look out for the next 
number of Blackwood and riddle me out my con- 
