CHAP. v. BEETLE GATHERING. 45 



of beetles in nine months, in fact, all that could be 

 collected in Caithness. He collected 220 specimens 

 of bees, and 240 specimens of butterflies and moths. 

 These are all to be seen in the Thurso Museum. They 

 are now covered with living moths, grubs, and woodlice, 

 and fast going to decay. 



The boys soon found out the strange baker and his 

 ongoings. Boys are great critics. They immediately 

 detect nonconformity. When they saw Dick coming out 

 of his shop in his chimney-pot hat, his swallow-tailed 

 coat, and jean trousers, they were immediately after 

 him. They followed him at a little distance. He went 

 up the green sward alongside the river ; knelt down on 

 his knees ; crawled onward ; and then brought his hand 

 slap down. It was perhaps some insect that he had 

 been long seeking for. The boys saw him take off his 

 hat, put in the object, perhaps impaling it with a pin. 



When Dick went away, the boys went up to the spot 

 to see what he had been about. They found nothing 

 whatever, only green grass. They did not know that 

 Dick had found a splendid beetle. They went home to 

 their friends, and told them what they had seen. It 

 thus became known that he was an insect-collector. 

 What could he want with the beetles and grubs ? Surely 

 he could not put them into his bread ! Faugh ! Then 

 they whispered about that they had got a mad baker 

 amongst them. 



Dick, however, made friends of the boys. He said to 

 them, "Whenever you can find a rare butterfly, bring it to 

 me, and I will give you something for it. If it be in 



