The Museum is on this Road

Today we went to a lecture at the Torquay Museum. I wasn't too keen as it was about a rare marine worm called Ophelia Bicornis. It turned out to be fascinating because the lecturer was so funny, and an expert at imparting his knowlege. Ophelia can only be found in very specific places, and near to us that means two specific spots in the Exe estuary, close to Exmouth.

The original description was by a Frenchman - Jean Baptiste de Lamarck,. 1818. in Vol. 5. Annelides of ...] Histoire naturelle des Animaux sans Vertèbres Unfortunately he describes the worm's anus as its head, and the head as the anus.

The lecturer, who was at Exeter University, first lectured at the Museum many years ago. In those days he was told no questions were allowed after zoology lectures. The rule dated from Charles Darwin's day, and the controversy over On the Origin of Species, published in 1859. The museum was a male only society and the debate after lectures was causing gentlemen to be late home for dinner, and was also the cause of fisticuffs.

No fisticuffs today and our man certainly knew which end was which.

Minton Street sign number three