300 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



" However, nothing will be wanting on my part in 

 furthering your interest." 



On October 31, 1874, he writes to him again : 



" MY DEAR SIR, 



" I have just been able to be out a little, and 

 have seen the curator of the Kelvingrove museum, 

 who believes that an additional man will be wanted 

 when the building is completed, but there can be 

 nothing definite said till that time. The foundation 

 is laid and a few feet of the walls are up, and it is 

 expected that it will be well forward by early spring. 

 Mr. Thomson, the curator, takes a very favourable 

 view of your fitness for the situation. I have also 

 seen one of the directors of the Rothesay aquarium 

 John Kirsop, hatter, Argyle Street, corner of 

 Arcade who also gives encouragement to push your 

 application. He suggests that the best way would be 

 for you to send in a formal application to him, and he 

 would bring it before the board of directors at the 

 first meeting. You should send along with it a few 

 testimonials as to your fitness, which I am sure you 

 could readily get at once, and a similar application to 

 Mr. Thomson, curator of the Kelvingrove museum. 

 I have also been to the curator of the Hunterian 

 museum, but the prospects there appear in the mean 

 time to be more distant.' 1 



These efforts were unavailing. The naturalist of 

 Banff was disappointed in his ambition of becoming 

 a subordinate servant in an obscure museum. What 

 followed is a striking illustration of the power of 



