4o6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



among the fishermen at Cromer. His last fishery report was presented 

 in March, 1880. It was a document which he endeavored to make as 

 far as possible an outline and guide to those who wish to open up and 

 improve salmon-fisheries, in whatever part of the world they may be 

 situated. He went for the last time to the fishery-oftice in August, 

 1880, and left his house for the last time, on the 2l8t of the same 

 month, to visit a newly ari'ived orang-outang. lie continued to write, 

 however, for " Land and "Water," and completed a new edition of the 

 " Natural History of British Fishes," and a revised edition of White's 

 " Natural History of Selbome " in the last month of his life. He also 

 arranged and revised a series of articles, which was published after 

 his death, as " Notes and Jottings from Animal Life." 



Buckland's journals occasionally show glimpses of those thoughts 

 and feelings that men do not usually talk much about to others ; the 

 passages strikingly exhibit his simple-hearted earnestness. Thus, in 

 1865, he says : " I can not help thinking that the Almighty God has 

 given me great powers, both of thought and of expressing those 

 thoughts. Thanks to him, but I must cultivate my mind by diligent 

 study, careful reflection in private, and quick apprehension of facts 

 out-of-doors, combined Avith quick appreciation of ideas of others ; in 

 fact, strive to become a master-mind, and thus able to influence others 

 of weaker minds, whose shortcomings I must forgive. . . . Why should 

 I not imitate the example of that great and illustrious man to whom I 

 owe so much of my education (William of Wykcham, founder of the 

 Winchester School), and endeavor to do as much good as possible in 

 my humble way ? I will therefore begin next week, and put up a 

 storm barometer for the use of the fishermen at Heme Bay." And, 

 December 16, 1866, "Thanks be to God, I have preserved a straight 

 course to the best of my abilities, and, though I see others taking short 

 cuts, I think honest dealing and true is the safest ballast to keep the 

 ship in trim, through the sea of difficulties and dangers." Just after 

 his forty-third birthday, he Avrote, " I do not aspire to do more than 

 my duty in that station to which it has pleased God to call me, but I 

 want to do it nobly and well." 



There was another, a curiosity side to Frank Buckland's character. 

 Nothing was without interest to him ; and he was hardly less fond of 

 studying the curiosities of the Barnum Museums than the objects of 

 natural history with which he spent most of his life. He very much 

 enjoyed the bearded woman, of whom he wrote quite extensively, was 

 on good social terms with Captain Bates the giant, and Miss Swan the 

 giantess, and Mademoiselle Millie-Christine, the " two headed nightin- 

 gale " ; knew nearly all the fat women and the other giants, and was 

 fond of making up parties for these people, with the Chinamen, Aztecs, 

 Esquimaux, Zooloos, Siamese twins, tattooed New-Zealanders, and 

 whatever queer specimens of mankind happened to be on exhibition 

 at the time, as fellow-guests. 



