[Here comes in the visit to Leicester's Hospital and Redfern's Shop, and
St. Mary's Church, printed in Our Old Home.--ED.]
From Redfern's we went back to the market-place, expecting to find J-----
at the Museum, but the keeper said he had gone away. We went into this
museum, which contains the collections in Natural History, etc., of a
county society. It is very well arranged, and is rich in specimens of
ornithology, among which was an albatross, huge beyond imagination. I do
not think that Coleridge could have known the size of the fowl when he
caused it to be hung round the neck of his Ancient Mariner. There were a
great many humming-birds from various parts of the world, and some of
their breasts actually gleamed and shone as with the brightest lustre of
sunset. Also, many strange fishes, and a huge pike taken from the river
Avon, and so long that I wonder how he could turn himself about in such a
little river as the Avon is near Warwick. A great curiosity was a bunch
of skeleton leaves and flowers, prepared by a young lady, and preserving
all the most delicate fibres of the plant, looking like inconceivably
fine lace-work, white as snow, while the substance was quite taken away.
In another room there were minerals, shells, and a splendid collection of
fossils, among which were remains of antediluvian creatures, several feet
long. In still another room, we saw some historical curiosities,--the
most interesting of which were two locks of reddish-brown hair, one from
the head and one from the beard of Edward IV.
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