144 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. V, 
London at a cost not exceeding 8o/., covering all 
expenses. There is no skeleton of this species in 
the Museum, and he requests the sanction of the 
Trustees for the steps he has taken to acquire it 
for the department of Zoology.’ 
There is added as a postscript : — 
‘ On his return to the Museum, Professor 
Owen has found a letter from Captain Macdonald, 
liberally offering to present the bones to the 
Museum under certain conditions. In acknow- 
ledging this letter. Professor Owen has begged 
leave to omit the reference to himself in the pro- 
posed inscription [of the whale], inasmuch as he 
had simply performed his duty as an officer of the 
Trustees in regard to the specimen.’ 
' In various quarters of the globe Owen had 
friends who were working to enrich the natural 
history collection under his charge. He received, 
in this and the following year, valuable specimens, 
which were sent him from Africa. The first col- 
lection was sent by Dr. John Kirk, Livingstone’s 
companion and fellow-traveller ; the second by 
M. Du Chaillu. 
In December 1863 Dr. Kirk wrote the follow- 
ing letter to Professor Owen with regard to the 
specimens which he was sending : — 
‘ After our last interview the African fever 
again returned, and haunted me, coming on at the 
most awkward times when in company, and forcing 
me to retire to bed. ... I have been to-day at 
