, 1877-03-07

rheumatism as we'll as sleeplesSneSS, put
by his indomitable perseverance Edward
thus acquired a store of information Gerlv-
ed from actual observation, which at last
placed him high among living naturaIists.
After observing and collecting for eight
years Edward had accumulated . 1000 spe-
cimens of creatures found in the neighbour
hood Of Banf. These were contained IN
800 cases, which he had made himself
and in May, 1915. they were exhibited at
Brandon Fair-ie, St. Brandon's Fair
at Bauf, but the result barely paid his
expenses, added to which 1000 plants
which he had also collected had been des-
troyed by cats vino got into the box which
contained them, and probably out OF re.
venge had made it their lair. Edward
was and is a sanguine man, and he thought
his exhibition at Banff 50 successful that
he determined to take his collection to
Aberdeen, which was to him the city OF
expectations. aai exhibit it there. To
Aberdeen it accordingly went in six carrl-
ers carts. The whole tamily-husband,
wife, and five children-accOmpanied it In
July, 1916, and poor Edward now thought
thai by its successful exhibition aud sale
he would be able to bid goodbye to shoe
making and devote himself e%ntlreIy to ma
tural science but in this case science was
doomed to be disappointed. Though
Edward found some CT his old friends, and
even that lady by whose laughter he
had got off so lightly when he lett the
ranks of the regiment to chase q butterfly,
the millions on whom he had reCkoned re-
fused to come, his master at Banff desired
him to return home Oh pain OF losing
his employment, and at last he was forced
to part with his whole collection tor Ego
10 S. 1t was bought by a clergyman for
his son, " no had a taste for natural science,
but it soon persisted, having been stored in
a damp place. Leaving his wife and family
in Aberdeen, Edward walked the so miles
back to Bauh and resumed his work, and
almost Ia despair abandoned Tor a While
his fayourite pursuits. But it is a long
lane that has no turning. Edward had
made himself a naturalist, and the time
was now come when he was to be better
known. Shortly after his return from
Aberdeen, Edward made the acquaintance
of the Rev. James Smith, who lived about
eight miles from Banff. This gentleman
lent him some works on natural history,
and Edward now not only collected ami
mails, but knew what came into his hands,
and could say whether they were rare or
not, His unrivaIIed power of observation
helped MIN, a1d thus it was that be first
discovered the existence of many species
up to that time unknown in the district.
Ia this way the bridled guillemot. bee-eat-
er, the Bohemian chatterer, the brown
snipe, the DEATHS head hawk moth, and
the spinous shark fell into his hands, and
were described in the " Zoologist" by Mr..
Smith, who at the same time did ample
Justice to Edwards powers of observation,
who up to that time had only pub.
lished his discoveries in the local newspa-
per8. Thus encouraged, Edward pursued
his researches with greater zeal than ever,
still supporting his family by the last /;
bat so fast as he had made a collection he
was obliged to part with it to exc
out his means of subsistence, so that his
museum was a savings-bank on which he
was compelled to draw to keep the wolf
from the door. Ia 1854 a great mlstor-
tune befell him ia the death Of Mr.. Smith,
who, instead Of looking down on him, like
the other folk in Banff, for being a shoe
maker, beheld in him a brother naturalist,
and treated him as a friend. After Mr..
Smiths death, however, he found another