72 EMINENT NATURALISTS. 



day only seemed to drive him deeper into the difficulty. 

 He had risked his all in the undertaking, and he could 

 see nothing but absolute ruin for him. Black despon- 

 dency seized him, and in the midst of his bewilderment 

 no wonder that his reason for the time being should 

 have been unhinged. Wife and five children dependent 

 on him, his situation to be lost unless he returned with- 

 out a day's delay, debt, and nothing to pay with, all 

 helped to bring on a state of feeling which would have 

 tried the strongest will. He went out with the intention 

 of not coming back again, and made his way to the sea- 

 shore. He had taken off his hat, coat and vest, and 

 remained looking into space with an utter blankness of 

 mind, until suddenly his eye caught sight of a flock of 

 birds, and among them one which was different from all 

 the rest. He waited until they rested on the sand, and 

 then off he started towards them. Each time they rose 

 and flew away off he started too, for his curiosity to 

 know something of the strange bird among the flock 

 was thoroughly aroused ; but secure it he could not, but 

 one thing he did secure, for to-day he is alive and 

 could tell the story of how his life was providentially 

 preserved by a little bird and his intense love of 

 nature. 



It was hard to bring himself to the fact that his 

 collection must be sold, but go it must. Several gentle- 

 men spoke of its being preserved by one of the scientific 

 societies, but nobody was ready to advance the necessary 

 money, and eventually it was sold for twenty pounds 

 ten shillings for the use of a boy who never seems to 

 have made any use of it. His heart went with it, and, 



