132 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



found in the vicinity of Aberdeen by the late Dr. Dyce and 

 George Sim." Interest in both groups continued all his life ; 

 and he formed collections in both, which he presented to the 

 University of Aberdeen shortly before his death. 



But his love for other sides of animal life was scarcely 

 less strong ; and the few days that he allowed himself away 

 from the business by which he won a livelihood for himself 

 and his family were chiefly devoted to long rambles that 

 might well have been thought beyond his bodily strength. 

 In these he was accustomed to carry a small spirit stove, and 

 to cook his meals when out all day and sometimes all night. 

 In company with one or two congenial friends he explored 

 the coast north and south of Aberdeen, and the interior of 

 the neighbouring counties, with a keen eye to animal life of 

 all kinds, but interested also in geology, and in other sides 

 of nature-study. From 1862 until 1890 he kept a syste- 

 matic record of his work and observations, extending to 

 1 2 quarto books, filled with notes interspersed with neat 

 drawings. These have been presented to the Aberdeen 

 Free Library. 



Much valuable information was gained also from the 

 material that came under his professional care, and was care- 

 fully noted ; and books and periodical literature were dili- 

 gently studied whenever opportunity could be gained, how- 

 ever brief. Thus he acquired a very exceptional knowledge 

 of the larger fauna of the district around Aberdeen. Numer- 

 ous short notes in the " Scottish Naturalist " and its successor 

 the " Annals of Scottish Natural History," in the " Zoologist," 

 and in similar journals called attention to novel or rare species 

 that came under his notice ; and essays by him on the 

 " History of the Herring," and the " Food of Fishes," were 

 awarded prizes at the Fisheries Exhibitions in Edinburgh in 

 1882, and in London in 1883. He resolved to prepare an 

 account of the Vertebrata of the district best known to him, 

 and from 1890 onwards made this his special aim. Its 

 pursuit made heavy demands on his time, and led to the 

 giving up of the journal about 1890. In 1 903 was published 

 in Aberdeen, " The Vertebrate Fauna of Dee, including the 

 Fishes of the East Coast from Wick to Firth of Forth," a 

 handsome octavo, of almost 300 pages. Except a brief 



