290 Mr. Couch, of Polperro. (CHAP. XVI. 
vere storm. It was of a most beautiful greenish color, va- 
riegated with steel-blue. This specimen he sent to Mr. 
Alder, who answered him in the following letter: “The 
Ascidian which you have sent me is a Leptoclinum, and 
may probably be a new species. There are few of that ge- 
nus with star-shaped calcareous crystals imbedded in them. 
The species that you have sent has the star-shaped crystals, 
and differs in color from any I have seen, being of a green- 
ish-blue color. I put it into water to moisten it after it 
came, and it stained the water of a blue color. I presume, 
therefore, that it would be of that color when fresh. It 
seems, from the sea-weed to which it is attached, to be a 
littoral species. I shall be glad of any other information 
which you can give me about it.” 
This was the last letter Edward received from Mr. Alder. 
As he was about to send off another large cargo of Tunicata 
to Newcastle, containing three new species, he received no- 
tice of Mr. Alder’s sudden death; and knowing of no other 
person who could name his: Ascidians, he ceased collecting 
them, although there is still a rich field for students of Mol- 
lusca along the Banffshire coast. “It is young, ardent, and 
devoted workers,” said Edward, “that are wanted to bring 
such things to light.” 
We next proceed to mention Edward’s researches as to 
new fishes. Having discovered a specimen of Drummond’s 
Echiodon—the first that had ever been found in the Firth 
—Edward published an account of it in the Zoologist for 
April, 1863, and offered to afford naturalists the opportu- 
nity of examining it. The article came under the notice 
of Mr. Jonathan Couch, of Polperro, in Cornwall, who was 
then engaged in writing his celebrated work on British 
fishes ; and he entered into a correspondence with Edward 
on the subject. The first letter that Mr. Couch wrote to 
Edward did not reach him. It was returned to Polperro. 
Banff seems not to have been known at the General Post- 
office. Another letter, with ‘“ N.B.” added, reached its ad- 
