| RefNo | HSF/1/2/58 |
| Previous numbers | 600/31/30 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Richard Owen, British Museum, to Sir John [Frederick William Herschel] |
| Creator | Owen; Sir; Richard (1804-1892); British comparative anatomist and palaeontologist |
| Date | 13 February 1863 |
| Description | The creature noted in 'The Iliad'' could only have been the Ibex or Bouquetin, one of the wild goats of southern Europe. He describes the Ibex, including the length of its horns exceeding four feet and five inches. In Homeric periods, when its nervous system was less disturbed by Man, a buck might have carried horns of between five and six feet in length. The antlers of the red deer obtained by Lord Powerscourt from an old castle in Transylvania last year were greater than the average length. Homer therefore gave the traditional length of the Ibex horns for Pandarus's bow. |
| Extent | 4p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8083 | Owen; Sir; Richard (1804 - 1892) | 1804 - 1892 |