1 68 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



visited the shell deposit at King Edwards, having 

 gladly accepted the guidance which Thomas Edward 

 volunteered for this excursion. 



Their task in Banffshire being now finished, the 

 Robertsons parted with their new acquaintance on 

 terms of kindly friendship, which were maintained 

 till the end of his life. 



When the naturalist of Banff some time after was 

 applying for a post in a Scotch museum, he had a 

 hearty recommendation from the naturalist of 

 Cumbrae, but neither his own merit nor his friend's 

 testimonial sufficed to secure the prize for him, trivial 

 as it was. It might literally be said of him that he 

 owed the smiles of fortune to the fortune of having 

 his life written by the ingenious pen of Mr. Smiles. 

 It was a surprise to the world to see how this man 

 through all his miseries and privations had still been 

 faithful from infancy to age to his researches in 

 natural history. 



His life and character, and the companion picture 

 of a somewhat more commanding figure, Robert Dick, 

 the baker of Thurso, skilfully as they have been 

 pourtrayed, and although they excite our admiration 

 for the men depicted, nevertheless tend to cast some- 

 thing of a sombre gloom over scientific pursuits. It 

 is well that it should be seen that there is no 

 necessary connection between an intense love of 

 nature and a deplorable condition of a man's private 

 affairs. 



Between the careers of Thomas Edward and David 

 Robertson there is an obvious resemblance, together 

 with a strong and instructive contrast, which gives a 



