290 &D WARD'S GIRLS HELP HIM. CHAP. xiv. 



Indeed, Edward's young folks were of great help 

 to him at this time. Several of his eldest girls went 

 about from place to place in search of rare fish, and 

 they were sometimes very successful. For instance, 

 one of them, whilst living with Mr. Gordon at Gar- 

 denstown, went on a zoologising excursion towards 

 the village of Crovie. As the two were rounding the 

 Snook, they observed a small fish being washed ashore. 

 Mr. Gordon kicked it with his foot, thinking it was 

 of no use, and remarking that it was a young sea-cat. 

 " Na," said Maggie, " it's nae sea-cat ; it's ower thin 

 for that. I dinna ken fat it is, but I'll take it and 

 send it hame to my father, for he bade me never to 

 miss naething o* this kine." So the fish was sent 

 home, and it proved to be a very fine specimen of 

 Yarrell's Blenny. 



On another occasion she sent home a specimen of 

 the Black Goby or Rock-fish (Gobius niger), which had 

 been taken from the stomach of a friendly cod. This 

 was the first fish of the kind found in the Moray Firth ; 

 and of the six species of Gobies found along the coasts 

 of Great Britain, it is the one most seldom met with. 

 Maggie also made a good " find" at Fraserburgh, while 

 on a zoological tour with her father. She was rum- 

 maging about amongst the sands, near Broadsea, ac- 

 companied by some of her acquaintances, when she 

 observed something sticking up out of the sand. At 

 first she thought it was a piece of tangle. She was 

 about to leave it, when, prompted by curiosity, she 



