332 ANOTHER DISCOVERY. CHAP. xvi. 



Moray Firth for hundreds or thousands of years ; but 

 science had not yet been born in the district, and 

 there were none who had the seeing eye and the 

 observant faculties of our Banffshire Naturalist. 



Edward also discovered a specimen of the Lepto- 

 clinum punctatum which had been thrown on shore 

 during a severe storm. It was of a most beautiful 

 greenish colour, variegated with steel blue. This 

 specimen he sent to Mr. Alder, who answered him in 

 the following letter : " The Ascidian which you have 

 sent me is a Leptoclinum, and may probably be a new 

 species. There are few of that genus with star-shaped 

 calcareous crystals embedded in them. The species that 

 you have sent has the star-shaped crystals, and differs in 

 colour from any I have seen, being of a greenish-blue 

 colour. I put it into water to moisten it after it came, 

 and it stained the water of a blue colour. I presume, 

 therefore, that it would be of that colour when fresh. 

 It seems, from the seaweed to which it is attached, 

 to be a littoral species. I shall be glad of any other 

 information which you can give me about it." 



This was the last letter Edward received from Mr. 

 Alder. As he was about to send off another large 

 cargo of Tunicata to Newcastle, containing three new 

 species, he received notice of Mr. Alder's sudden 

 death ; and knowing of no other person who could 

 name his Ascidians, he ceased collecting them ; 

 although there is still a rich field for students of 

 Mollusca along the Banffshire coast. " It is young. 



