1873-82 
‘SHUT THEM WINDOWS 
235 
could, and added If any of you gentlemen will 
pay me the cost of publication, you are quite 
welcome to the proceeds.” The Board was satis- 
fied, and bowed me out. I wms not quite so 
satisfied, especially when I thought of my wasted 
morning, so, turning to the Commissioners, I 
proceeded to describe the unhealthy state of the 
churchyard, and observed : “ Gentlemen, are you 
aware of the fact that this room must be full of 
the most deadly germs ? I may add that I should 
be sorry to answer for the health of any of you, 
especially as you have been sitting here all the 
morning with those windows open.” With that 
Parthian shot I retired, and as I left the 
room I heard one of the Commissioners shout, 
“Shut them windows!” I think I paid them 
out.’ 
On April 25, 1878, Professor Owen wrote to 
Mr. C. T. Newton with reference to a letter from 
the Duke of Somerset, suggesting the opening of 
the galleries of the British Museum on all days of 
the week. Owen intimates that, as the removal 
of the natural history portions of the collection is 
taking place, the reduction rather than the in- 
crease of hours of admission for the public is to 
be desired. But he adds : ‘His Grace will be 
gratified to learn that arrangements in the 
Museum of Natural History were suggested in 
the original plan (February 10, 1859), and have 
been carried out in the building, to allow of daily 
