Edinburgh. 247 



organisms that could not be reached with the hand- 

 net. For this reason it was sometimes called the 

 throw-dredge. 



The first trial of it at sea was in Ireland, as above 

 mentioned, when it soon proved itself to be no toy, 

 but a very useful machine. Being let down into the 

 water, it soon filled, and was drawn up with great 

 ease. It was then found that it could supply more 

 material than the two naturalists had time to examine, 

 so that after that they scarcely ever took the larger 

 dredge out again. 



The expedition of the following year will be best 

 described in Mr. Robertson's own words. In regard 

 to some of the remarks upon the manners and 

 customs of Edinburgh, it will be borne in mind that 

 a Glasgow man would be thought wanting in all 

 proper patriotic feeling if he did not endeavour to 

 chasten the pride of "the modern Athens" by the 

 precious balms of wholesome admonition and reproof. 

 The journal of the excursion is thus indited : 



"On May 6, 1869, my wife and I left Glasgow 

 for a trip to Edinburgh, Elie, Errol, and Montrose, 

 to see the post-tertiary shell beds at these places, 

 and to bring home clays from the various deposits 

 for further search of the minuter organisms. Having 

 left by an early train, we were in good time at 

 Edinburgh. We visited the Archaeological Museum, 

 and next that of Natural History. Although full of 

 interest, the latter had the usual defect of most of 

 our museums, the want of the products of our own 

 country and of our own shores. At night heard 

 three excellent papers read at the Geological Society,. 



