THOMAS EDWARD. 79 



descriptions they can supply. These may seem scientific, 

 but they are at the same time very dry. In fact, natural 

 history is rendered detestable to general readers. We 

 want some writers of the Audubon and Wilson class to 

 render natural history accessible to the public at large." 



Edward was perfectly right in this, and, had he only 

 received a complete education, there is no doubt but he 

 would have been one of those who would help materially 

 in expunging difficult words and phrases from such 

 books. It is, in fact, due to the lives of such men as 

 Edward that books have since been written of a simpler 

 and more popular character. 



Another Presbyterian minister was also of consider- 

 able service to him. His house was always open to 

 Edward, and a friendship of the warmest character 

 existed between them, and continued until the time of 

 Mr. Boyd's death, in 1854. He interested himself 

 greatly on Edward's behalf, and not long before his 

 death he, in conjunction with some other gentlemen, 

 who were on a visit to his house, had a long notice 

 inserted in a Fraserburgh paper; portions ran as 

 follows : — " During the past month our district has 

 been visited by Mr. Thomas Edward, from Banff, a 

 naturalist of no mean attainments, and one who, we 

 doubt not, will soon bring himself into public notice, 

 both by his indefatigable researches into natural science, 

 and his valuable contributions to various scientific 



periodicals We cordially wish Mr. Edward 



every success in the various fields of research upon 

 which he has entered. It is but justice to a most 

 deserving person to draw attention to his praiseworthy 



