270 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. IX. 
medallions and miniatures of various men — 
Newton, Cuvier, John Hunter, William Clift, 
Joseph Banks, and others — as well as oil-paintings 
of John Hunter and Oliver Cromwell. 
In this room he would sometimes sit for hours, 
looking out wistfully at the park view, the little 
piece of water with the two old oaks by its side, 
the wide expanse of green, and the dark back- 
ground of trees. 
H is favourite library companion was a little 
black and white Persian cat. He was always fond 
of cats, and his last intelligible words were spoken 
to this animal, which was with him to the hour of 
his death. 
In the early morning of his last birthday (July 
20, 1892), the tree which he admired more than 
any in the garden — the Gleditschia — fell down with 
a crash, leaving only part of the trunk and a few 
branches, although there was little or no wind at 
the time. 
By a curious coincidence, on that day Sir 
Richard showed marked symptoms of failing 
strength. But as he did not feel positively ill. 
and was in very good spirits, no particular alarm 
was felt. It was not till the end of August that 
any anxiety was felt at his symptoms, and Dr. 
Palmer, of East Sheen, who visited him con- 
tinuously with unfailing kindness and considera- 
tion to the end, was called in. 
On August 25, Dr. Palmer writes : ‘ I found 
