220 Closeness of Observation. [CHAP. XII. 
pointment which they had occasioned, for they had thereby 
rendered me the witness of a scene which I could scarcely 
have believed, and which no length of time will efface from 
my recollection.” 
On another occasion Edward exhibited the same close- 
ness, minuteness, and patience of observation with regard 
to the turn-stone (Strepsilas interpers), a bird which is an 
inhabitant of the sea-shore, and has a wide geographical 
range, though it has rarely been seen on the shores of the 
Moray Firth. In Edward’s ornithological excursions, it was 
not so much his object to kill birds as to observe their man- 
ners and habits. He very often made his excursions with- 
out a gun at all. In a letter to the author, he observes: 
“Tn looking over my printed articles, you will find a great 
number of notices of the habits and workings of various. 
species. I spent so much time in observation, that I had 
little time to spare to write out the results; and what I did 
write did not seem to be much appreciated. Perhaps this 
is not to be wondered at. It appears that the compilers of 
works on natural history in this country do not care for 
details of the habits of the animals they treat of. They 
rather glory in the abundance of technical descriptions they 
can supply. These may seem scientific, but they are at the 
same time very dry. In fact, natural history is rendered de- 
testable to general readers. We want some writers of the 
Audubon and Wilson class to render natural history accessi- 
ble to the public at large.” 
If Edward himself could have been rescued from his 
shoe-maker’s seat, we might probably have had the book 
which he indicates. He was full of love for his subject; 
he was patient and persevering in his observations; and, 
notwithstanding his great disadvantages, it will be observed 
that his style of writing was vivid and graphic. With re- 
spect to the turn-stone, which Edward described in 1850,* 
* First in the Banffshire Journal, December 31st, 1860; and after- 
ward copied by Mr. Smith in the Zoologist, April, 1851. 
