604 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



half distracted at his situation. More advertising only aggravated 

 his trouble. After a month he had lost hope, and, what was worse, his 

 master at Banff wrote him that if he did not immediately return he 

 would lose his place. He became despairing, and started for the sea- 

 shore with a view of putting an end to his troubles. He had thrown 

 off his hat, coat, and waistcoat, before plunging into the sea, when a 

 flock of sanderlings lit upon the sands near him, and among them a 

 larger and darker bird, that he was not acquainted with. They flew, 

 and he followed them, again and again, until he exhausted himself, and 

 worked off his misery. Nothing remained but to sell his collection, 

 which he did for twenty pounds to a gentleman who wanted it for his 

 boy. These specimens were stored in a damp room, and eventually 

 perished; but the exhibitor got out of debt, and went back with his 

 family to Banff. 



Edward felt crushed and ruined when he got back to his home. 

 He had not only lost the precious fruits of many years of loving 

 labor, but his hopes of anything for the future but slavery in the 

 shop were blighted, and his life looked dark and desolate. He re- 

 sumed work, but at first had little spirit to begin replacing his lost 

 specimens. Yet, as spring advanced, his passion again took posses- 

 sion of him, and he girded himself with his gun and insect-boxes and 

 various appendages, and again sought his old haunts of observation. 

 His zeal and perseverance were now greater than before. His friends 

 protested that his exposures were wearing him out, but he says: " One 

 look at my cobbler's stool dispelled every consideration. My wish was, 

 at some time or other, to wrench myself free from my trade." He 

 now improved his outfit by getting a coat with eight large pockets, 

 and had four ample receptacles in his waistcoat ; besides, he had a 

 number of bags and wallets geared for convenient carrying, and all 

 were stocked with facilities for advancing his work. On one occa- 

 sion, after a prolonged tour, and when all his boxes and cases were 

 filled with insects and worms of every sort, he was caught in a ter- 

 rific thunder-storm, and soaked through and through by the rain. 

 He reached a house at length and sought shelter, but the glue of 

 his boxes had softened by the water, and, coming apart, let out the 

 ants, worms, slugs, spiders, and caterpillars, so that he was com- 

 pletely covered with miscellaneous vermin. The woman of the house 

 yelled at him : " Man, fat the sorra brocht ye in here, an' you in 

 siccan a mess ? Gang oot o' my hoose, I tell ye, this verra minit ! 

 Gang oot ! " On looking at his clothes he found that he was a mov- 

 ing mass of insect-life and creeping things, and he cleared the room 

 at a bound and took refuge in an old shed. 



After his exhibition at Banff, he became a sort of general referee 

 in regard to all curious objects found in the district, and got a great 

 deal of advice as to what he ought to do, but nobody offered to help 

 him. He had a family of eight, and his wages, even with extra work, 



