OHAP. XIV.] Edward’s Sea-traps. 251 
of one. How, then, did he proceed? He gathered together 
all the old pots, pans, pails, and kettles which he could pro- 
cure in his neighborhood. He filled these with straw, grass, 
bits of old clothes, or bits of blankets. A coat and trou- 
sers cut down were found very useful. These were Hd- 
ward’s sea-traps. Having put a heavyish stone at the bot- 
tom of the trap to weigh it down, and attached a rope to 
the upper part, he lowered his traps into the deeper rock- 
pools along the coast. Some of them he threw into the 
sea from the point of a rock, attaching the rope to a stone, 
or to some strong alge. 
When the traps were drawn up, Edward obtained from 
them small fishes, crustaceans, mollusks (with or without 
shells), star-fish, worms, and the smaller kinds of sea-mice. 
He took them to a shallow pool and shook out the con- 
tents; and when he had picked out what he thought might 
be useful, he packed the traps again and set them in their 
old places. He usually visited his sea-traps once a month; 
but in winter he visited them less frequently, as he rarely 
took any thing at that time of the year. 
Edward visited the rocky shore for many miles east and 
west of Banff. He turned over the loose stones, turned up 
the algze, peeped in beneath the corners and shelves of the 
projecting rocks. He went to the pools, and often had the 
pleasure of seeing the inhabitants working in their native 
element. If he observed something that he wanted, he 
would make a dive at it, though the water might get up to 
his head and shoulders. Sometimes he fell in bodily; but 
that did not matter much if he secured his object. 
Here is the manner in which he once caught Bloch’s 
gurnard (Zrigla Blochi:). Edward observed one of them 
swimming in a rock pool. It had, by some means or other, 
come pretty close inshore during high water, and had got 
entangled among the rocks, so that it had been unable to 
make its way out again with the receding tide. The pool, 
though not deep, was pretty large, so that it gave Edward 
