262 His Lost Letters. (CHAP. XIV. 
were returned. But he was scarcely in a position to resent 
this conduct. At last he sent none but those of which 
he had duplicates, preferring to keep them without a name 
rather than run the risk of losing them altogether. 
Mr. Edward Newman, of London, editor of the Zoologist, 
was one of those who helped Edward with books. He also 
named many of Edward’s beetles and other insects, which 
were sent to him for identification. The correspondence* 
between them originated in Edward’s articles on the birds 
of Banffshire, which began to appear in the Zoologist in 
August, 1856. Mr. Newman sent Edward several books 
on natural history, together with his own “ List of British 
Birds.” In February, 1858, we find Mr. Newman sending 
Edward a copy of the “ Insect Hunters,” his most successful 
book. Mr. Newman said to Edward, “I think it really won- 
derful that you should have acquired the great knowledge 
you have obtained under the circumstances in which you 
have been placed.” Mr. Newman asked for some informa- 
tion about fishes, which Edward promised to supply. The 
result was, that many new fishes were found in the Moray 
Firth, simply from Edward’s determination to search, col- 
lect, and preserve them. 
* Most of Edward’s correspondence has been lost, destroyed, or used 
for “kindling.” He never had the least idea that old letters could be 
useful. When the author made inquiry about them, Edward said, “I 
fear there will be a great blank there. I am not aware when I began 
to correspond; and as for keeping letters, I had no reason for that > 
still, I may have some, and I will try and find them.” After about a 
week, he said, ‘I have found no old letters yet; but my wife tells me 
that she saw a box, about two years ago, in an old lumber garret, which 
she thinks may contain some useless old papers of mine. I will try 
and get it out,and make a search. I might have had many hundreds, 
if not thousands, if I had kept them. The postman, as well as my 
master and shop-mates, were all surprised at the great number of let- 
ters I received for many years.” At last the box in the garret was 
discovered, and a small collection of letters was found in it, which the 
author has made use of in writing the latter part of this memoir. 
