288 THE WELCOME STRANGER. CHAP. xiv. 



Wrasse (Labrus variegatus), a very rare fish ; a spe- 

 cimen of the Cuttle-fish (Loligo vulgaris), the length 

 of which was four feet, with a splendid Gladius of 

 above fifteen inches long. In enumerating these fishes 

 brought to him by the fishermen of Macduff, Edward 

 asked, " What are our own Banff fishermen and those 

 of Whitehills about, that they never bring in any 

 rare objects of this sort ? Do they never get anything 

 attached to their lines worthy of notice worthy of a 

 place in a Naturalist's cabinet, or in a corner of the 

 Museum ? Why won't they help us ? Just because 

 of their want of Will. They, like many more, go 

 about in what might be termed a state of daylight som- 

 nambulism ; that is, with eyes and ears both open, 

 and yet they neither see nor hear of any of these 

 things." 



Edward's appeal was at length responded to. The 

 fishermen began to collect things for him, and they 

 allowed his girls to strip their nets of " the rubbish" 

 they contained. One evening some unknown fisher- 

 man sent him a present of a Saury Pike (Scomberesox 

 saurius). Edward's family were surprised at hearing 

 some person, very heavily shod, ascending the stairs. 

 One said it was a horse and cart ; another said it was 

 the Eooshians. The door was suddenly opened and 

 flung bang against the wall, when in rushed neither 

 the horse and cart nor the Eooshians, but a little 

 urchin, out of breath, with his mouth wide open. There 

 he stood, staring bewildered round the room ; but 



