Life of a Scotch Naturalist 2

Life of a Scotch Naturalist 2

CHAPTER VIII.

 

FORMS A NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION.

 

Situation of Banff—Macduff—Cliffs of

Banffshire—Gamrie—The fishing-boats—Gardenstown—The

fishermen—Crovie—Hell’s Lum—Troup Head—Pennan—The

dens of North Aberdeenshire—Aberdour—Church of

Aberdour—Inland county of Banff—Ben Macdhui—Edward’s

rounds—Pursuit of two Geese—Pursuit of a little

Stint—Shoemaking—Edward’s traps—His collection

of insects—Collection destroyed—Loss of dried

plants—Exhibits his collection at Banff 129-152

 

 

CHAPTER IX.

 

EXHIBITS HIS COLLECTION AT ABERDEEN.

 

Aberdeen his city of expectations—Dramatic

bird-stuffing—Collection taken to Aberdeen in six

carriers’ carts—Exhibited in Union Street—The

handbills—Appeal to the people—The expected

rush—General visitors—Professional visitors—An

interrogator—Edward disbelieved—“The thing

impossible”—Edward’s vindication—Invites his mill

mates—Temperance and drunkenness—Edward a mystery—A

lady visitor—Appeals to “The Millions”—The exhibition

a failure—Edward in despair—The beach—The flock of

Sanderlings—The Providential Bird—The collection

sold—Departure from Aberdeen 153-180

 

 

CHAPTER X.

 

RESUMES HIS FORMER LIFE AND HABITS.

 

Re-enters his desolate dwelling—Return of his

family—Begins again—Redoubles his zeal—His

paraphernalia—Ramble in the Balloch Hills—A

successful search—A furious storm comes on—Crossing

the moor—A haven—The chip-boxes destroyed—A terrible

woman—His hat and insect boxes—How to preserve—A

referee—Edward’s certificate from the Justices—Love of

birdnesting—Accident at Tarlair—Falls from a cliff, and

is rescued—Draws on his Savings Bank 181-202

 

 

CHAPTER XI.

 

BEGINS TO PUBLISH HIS OBSERVATIONS.

 

The Rev. Mr. Smith—The Bridled Guillemot—Grammar—Scraps

from the newspapers—The Death’s-head Moth—Butterflies

and locusts—_Locusta migratoria_—Saw-flies—The

Spider—Notes in Natural History—Rare birds—The

Bee-eater—The Bohemian Waxwing—The Brown Snipe-Edward’s

pursuit—The Snipe escapes—Adventure on Gamrie

Head—The Fox’s lair—The precipice—The Peregrine

Falcon-Feeds upon its prey—Flight of the Falcon—Slides

down the rocks—Discovers a Spinous Shark—Returns

home 203-229

 

 

CHAPTER XII.

 

RAMBLES AMONGST BIRDS.

 

Mr. Smith’s articles published in the

_Zoologist_—Edward’s power of observation described—The

beautiful Heron—Cries of the Birds at Ness Bogie—The

motherly Wild Duck—Burial of the Wild Duck—The

Pickietars—The Pickietar fishing—The Pickietar

shot—Rescued by his friends—Edward’s closeness

of observation—The Turnstone—Its description—Its

labours—The Turnstones turn over a Cod—The little

Auk—Sea-fowl nurseries—Pennan—Sleeps in Hell’s Lum—The

sea-birds at night 230-251

 

 

CHAPTER XIII.

 

LITERATURE AND CORRESPONDENCE.

 

Death of the Rev. Mr. Smith—Mr. Smith’s

helpfulness—Observation of the Partridge—The Rev.

Alexander Boyd—Loch of Strathbeg—The Waterfowl

at Strathbeg—Swans—Geese—Ducks—Winter and summer

birds—The Ring Dotterel—A pursuit—Mr. Boyd’s

article—Encouragement of native talent and genius—Death

of Mr. Boyd—Publication of ‘Birds of Strathbeg’ in

_Naturalist_—Mr. C. W. Peach—Writes articles for the

_Zoologist_—Finches—Crows and Crab-shells—The Heron

and the Crows—A fight in the air—Crows, Hares, and

Rabbits—Cold and Whisky—Edward’s health fails—Again

draws on his Savings Bank 252-278

 

 

CHAPTER XIV.

 

BY THE SEA-SHORE.

 

Marine objects on the shores of Banffshire—Edward’s

sea-traps—Captures a rare fish, Bloch’s Gurnard—The

incoming wave—Big fish the best dredgers—Helped by

the fishermen—Helped by his daughters—The Cod’s

bill of fare—Haddocks—Advice to the fishermen—The

fishers of Macduff—The Blue-striped Wrasse—The

Saury Pike—Yarrell’s Blenny—Black Goby—Equoreal

Needle-fish—Edward’s self-education—How he got

his fishes named—“Give him books!”—Edward’s

enthusiasm 279-296

 

 

CHAPTER XV.

 

DISCOVERIES AMONG THE CRUSTACEA.

 

Mr. Bate of Plymouth—His work on Crustacea—_Praniza

Edwardii_—The Anceus—Edward’s letter to Mr.

Bate—Entomostraca—Parasites from short Sun-fish—Present

of a Microscope—A possible Sub-curatorship—Edward

disappointed—Freemasonry among naturalists—Rev.

A. M. Norman—Fish parasites—_Mysis spinifera_—New

species discovered—_Vibilia borealis_—Observation of

_Eurydice pulchra_—Edward’s difficulties—Nest building

crustacea—New Shrimps and Parasites—The Zoologists in

ecstasies—The “_Sessile-eyed Crustacea_” published—Mr.

Bate’s eulogiums on Edward’s discoveries—New Crustacea

found by Edward in the Moray Firth 297-323

 

 

CHAPTER XVI.

 

DISCOVERIES AMONGST ZOOPHYTES, MOLLUSCS, AND FISHES.

 

Edward brings home Zoophytes to observe—The Star-fish—The

Brittle Stars—A six legged Starfish—Rosy-feather

Star—The great Sea-cucumber—Dead Man’s Paps—The

Ascidians—Want of observers—New Ascidian sent to Mr.

Alder—Drummond’s Echiodon—Mr. Couch of Polperro—The

Wrasses—A jumping Wrasse—A new Midge—_Couchia

Thompsoni_—Colonel Montague—Montague’s Midge—Midges in

Moray Firth—Edward’s Midge (_Couchia Edwardii_)—Other

new fishes—Difficulties with the Museum—Edward elected

Associate of the Linnean Society—Other societies elect

him member—The “prophet without honour in his own

country” 324-349

 

 

CHAPTER XVII.

 

ANTIQUITIES—KITCHEN-MIDDENS.

 

Edward’s illness—Studies galvanism—Curator of Banff

Museum—Practises Photography—Antiquities of Banff—The

old Town Cross—The Drinking Fountain—The Kjökken

Mödding at Boyndie—Early population, Lapps or

Fins—Shelly-bush—Investigates the shell mounds at

Boyndie—Loch of Spynie—Contents of the shell-mounds—The

Stone period—The Old Bone—Conjectures about it—The

old bone condemned—Sir Roderick Murchison—The bone,

part of the _Plesiosaurus dolichodeiras_—Banff

Museum 350-372

 

 

CHAPTER XVIII.

 

CONCLUSION.

 

Edward’s labours drawing to a close—Still craves after

Nature—His wife accompanies him to Huntly—Traps at

Tarlair—Another discovery to announce—Nilsson’s

Goby—His numerous discoveries—His observations at last

accredited—His self-reliance and perseverance—His

sobriety—His family—His power of Will—Pride—Never

despair—Money considerations—Things he has _not_

done—Edward at home—His outside helpers—His

failures—“HERE I AM STILL” 373-388

 

 

 

 

FAUNA OF BANFFSHIRE.

 

 

MAMMALS 391-394

BIRDS 394-417

FISHES 417-429

CRUSTACEA 430-438