THOMAS EDWARD. 67 



Our young friends especially should visit the collection ; 

 it will both amuse and instruct them. They will learn 

 more from seeing them in half-an-hour, than from 

 reading about them in half-a-year." 



His neighbours were greatly surprised, and some of 

 the better class enquired as to " what had made him a 

 naturalist ? ' : Edward says that " when this question was 

 first asked him he was completely dumbfoundered. I had 

 no notion that a naturalist could be made. What ! 

 make a naturalist as you would make a tradesman ! I 

 could not believe that people became naturalists from 

 pecuniary motives. My answer to those who put the 

 question invariably was, and still is, I cannot tell. I 

 never knew of any external circumstance that had any- 

 thing to do with engendering in my mind the never- 

 ceasing love which I entertained for the universal works 

 of the Almighty ; so that the real cause must be looked 

 for elsewhere." 



The exhibition was a success, and Edward was 

 greatly encouraged, and at once set to work collecting 

 for another exhibition, which must be larger and more 

 comprehensive than the first, but he decided that Banff 

 was scarcely the place for this, and he fixed upon 

 Aberdeen as being the city where he would be likely to 

 have most visitors. He was buoyed up with this great 

 project, which filled his thoughts night and day, and he 

 was most assiduous in adding to his collection every 

 specimen of interest which came in his way. He had 

 been successful at Banff, surely he would meet with far 

 greater encouragement in a large and well-populated 

 city like Aberdeen, with its university, its many 



