154 The Naturalist of C^lmbrae. 



laid out for the royal inspection. Whether the out- 

 raged naturalist was tempted to fling his spouse after 

 his specimens is not recorded. Science in Mr. 

 Robertson's household was pursued under happier 

 circumstances. All along, he says, he had the 

 sympathy of his wife in his natural history hobbies, 

 and when relieved from the duties of business, besides 

 sympathy she gave him substantial assistance in 

 those pursuits, and after a while she chose the 

 recent foraminifera for her own favourite group. 

 Her important and valuable collection of those 

 minutely beautiful objects bears witness to the 

 scientific acquaintance with them to which she 

 attained. 



Dredging expeditions in company with his wife, 

 slight of frame, but " with a heart for any fate," and 

 the two boys, bold, athletic lads, were generally a 

 source of great pleasure and amusement to the whole 

 party. Even the occasions in which they were caught 

 in rough storms or met with other disasters, which 

 did not prove fatal to any of them, are now looked 

 back upon with not a little satisfaction. 



In 1865, they were at Campbelton, in Cantire, and 

 found themselves unable to hire a rowing boat. This 

 was disconcerting, as without something in which to 

 get 'out to sea the object of their trip would be de- 

 feated. After much inquiry they heard that the 

 agent of the steamboat company kept a boat for his 

 own private use. They called upon him and asked 

 for the loan of it, which he kindly granted. As their 

 object was to go out with the surface net after sunset, 

 they agreed to call again at 8 p.m. The agent then 



