The Fossil Potato. 165 



They passed a field in which there were rabbits in 

 hundreds. This turned the conversation to the great 

 abundance of certain animals in particular localities, 

 which Mr. Robertson had had frequent opportunities 

 of observing, so that he was in no way disposed to 

 disbelieve the gamekeeper's statement that he 

 supplied the Squire's house with so many dozen eggs 

 of the peewit, or " peeweep," weekly while the season 

 lasted. But when the gamekeeper followed up this 

 record from his own proper employment by telling 

 them of a neighbouring gentleman who had found a 

 fossil head of a man with eyes and mouth and all 

 complete, which he urged them to go and see, they 

 excused themselves on the plea of want of time. 



His account reminded them of the farmer who 

 found a clay nodule in a brickfield and believed that 

 it was a fossil potato. There were the eyes, and the 

 very shape of the old red tuber, and the scar of the 

 root by which it hung. Nobody need tell him it was 

 not so. He had been fifty years a farmer, and should 

 surely know a potato when he saw it. 



After they had done all that they could at Peter- 

 head, they prepared to go to BanfF. Although Banff 

 is not far from Peterhead by road, they had to go 

 nearly back to Aberdeen to get to it by rail. 



On reaching Banff they first of all went to call on 

 Mr. Edward. He was not at home. His wife thought 

 they would most likely find him on the shore. But 

 there they saw nothing of any one whom they could 

 guess to be a naturalist. On their return they found 

 him at home. After telling him who they were, they 

 asked to see the Museum. He replied that there was 



