CHAP. xvi. WANT OF OBSERVERS. 331 



in this country. It is a Eed Sea and Mediter- 

 ranean species. ... I am much obliged to my friend 

 Mr. Norman for recommending you to send specimens 

 to me, and I shall be glad to hear from you again." 



The specimen of Aplidium lobatum which Edward 

 sent to Mr. Alder, was cast ashore at Banff ; though 

 its usual habitat is the Indian Ocean, the Ked Sea, 

 and the Mediterranean. 



In a future letter Mr. Alder says : " 1 received 

 your box containing a specimen of Ascidia sordida 

 (young), and also a Zoophyte, the Alcyonidium gelati- 

 nosum, for which accept my thanks. I see that you 

 have been very successful in discovering small fish. 

 Your account of them is very interesting. I wish 

 any one on our coast would pay attention to these 

 things, but we have no one living permanently on 

 the coast that cares anything about Natural History." 



Edward afterwards discovered a fine specimen of 

 the Onychoteuthes Bartlingii or Banksii. It was the 

 first met with in Britain, the range of the species 

 being said to be from Norway to the Cape and 

 Indian Ocean. This specimen was found on the 

 beach betwixt the mouth of the river Deveron and 

 the town of Macduff. Doubtless many other speci- 

 mens of this and other marine animals had been cast 

 upon the beach before, but no one had taken the 

 trouble to look for or observe them. Many, also, of 

 the fishes and marine objects which Edward was the 

 first to discover, had probably been haunting the 



