CHAP. xi. DICK PUBLICLY MENTIONED. 135 



a fish on each side of it ; a stone from the little burying- 

 ground of Pennyland, with a bit of fish on it ; a stone 

 from the burn of Scrabster, with a fish wanting the head 

 on it ; a bone or two from the extreme point of Holborn 

 Head ; a fish, a stone or two from the fish-bed, Holborn; 

 and some bits of fish from Brims. Some bones from 

 Thurso East one, two, three of this form [giving a 

 drawing], and a fragment of a skull-cover of great 

 strength, but not so strong as the monster plate I sent 



you ; but the triangular knob thus / \ is of such size as 



fully to confirm you in the faith of my report of last 

 year. The fragment is altogether of a massive appear- 

 ance. I am much chagrined at my ill luck in not find- 

 ing a whole fish of respectable size. I am not, however, 

 cast down, but may yet be triumphant." 



Hugh Miller received with gratitude the fossil fish 

 sent him by Dick. He also referred to them in his 

 articles in the Witness, and mentioned Dick by name, 

 as the discoverer of the principal fossil fish. Dick had 

 no desire to appear before the public in this or any other 

 way. He was an extremely shy man. Some who did 

 not really know him, thought him morose. But lie was 

 nothing of the sort. He enjoyed science merely for its 

 own sake, and it always gave him the greatest pleasure 

 to hand over his fossils to others who could make use of 

 them, and bring them under the notice of scientific men. 



Hence, in the letter to Hugh Miller accompanying 

 the above bundle of fossils, he says : " Your letter, with 

 the 10th and llth Geological Eambles, came safely 



