242 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. vni. 
A man who held for so many years so pro- 
minent a position as Owen inevitably becomes the 
victim of strange requests. As years passed, 
he formed a small collection of letters, which 
he labelled ‘ Specimens of my Correspondence.’ 
One of these he received on January 23, 1880. 
It was a twelve-page letter, closely written, from 
a gentleman who forwarded at the same time a 
large packet of poems of his own composition, 
which he desired the Professor to read through 
with comments and return. The letter contained 
a biography of the writer, with a minute account 
of his poetic instincts and aspirations. Owen 
answered the letter politely, but at the same 
time begged to be excused from perusing the 
poems on account of their length, and con- 
cluded his letter with the following words ; ‘In 
my seventy-sixth year, with rare materials 
awaiting examination and the impending labour 
of the transfer of our Natural History Museum 
hence to South Kensington, you will condone a 
request to spare both our brief allotted time for 
work — yours in writing, mine in reading and 
replying.’ 
Another specimen may be quoted, which the 
Professor has endorsed ‘A characteristic request ! 
from a perfect stranger ! !’ It runs thus : — 
‘ Dear Professor Owen, — A few months hence, 
all being well, I leave England to return to the 
United States. My wife and I are gathering 
