CHAP. xin. THE REV. MR. SMITH. 253 



He wandered about the fields with him, admiring his 

 close observation ; and he urged him to note down 

 the facts which he observed, in order that they might 

 be published to the world. 



In one of the last letters addressed by Mr. Smith 

 to Edward he observed : " It is, I conceive, the great 

 defect in the natural sciences that we know so little 

 of the real habits and instincts of the animal creation. 

 In helping to fill up this gap, your personal minute 

 and accurate observations will be of no little service ; 

 although individuals, solemn and wise in their own 

 conceit, may look upon some of them as so strange 

 as to be altogether fabulous ; and that for no better 

 reason than because during all their lives, having 

 exercised their faculties only in eating, drinking, and 

 sleeping, the things related have never come under 

 the notice either of their eyes or their ears." 



We find, from a letter of Professor Dickie, that 

 Mr. Smith endeavoured to obtain employment for 

 Edward as a preserver of British birds for the Natural 

 History collection in King's College, Aberdeen. Many 

 kindly letters passed between Edward and the 

 minister of Monquhitter, sometimes about newly-dis- 

 covered birds ; at other times about the troubles and 

 sicknesses of their respective families. Mr. Smith's 

 suggestion that Edward should note down his obser- 

 vations for publication was not, as we have seen, 

 without effect, as the latter afterwards became a con- 

 contributor to the Naturalist, the Zoologist, the Ibis, 



