CHAPTER XIV. 

 BY THE SEA-SHORE. 



EDWAKD had for some time been extending his in- 

 vestigations to the tenants of the deep. His wander- 

 ings had for the most part been along-shore in search of 

 sea-birds. But, as early as 1856, we find him corre- 

 sponding with Mr. Macdonald of Elgin as to Zoo- 

 phytes, with Mr. Blackwood of Aberdeen as to Algse, 

 and with Mr. C. Spence Bate of Plymouth as to Crus- 

 tacea. Now that he had to abandon his night wan- 

 derings, and to give up his gun, he resolved to 

 devote himself more particularly to the Natural 

 History of the sea-shore. 



Here was a great field open for him. The 

 Moray Firth had never been properly searched for 

 marine productions. It was full of fish, and also of 

 the various marine objects that fish feed upon. 



When Professor Macgillivray called upon Edward 

 at Banff, he expressed his surprise at the meagreness 

 of the list of Crustacea and Testacea found along the 

 Moray coast. In fact, the catalogue of Fishes (ex- 

 cepting herring, cod, haddock, and the other edible 

 fishes) was almost barren. There was no want of 

 marine objects ; the principal want was, in careful 



