Life Of A Scotch Naturalist: Thomas Edward, Associate Of The Linnean Society.

LIFE OF A SCOTCH NATURALIST

Printed by R. &amp; R. Clark , Edinburgh....

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PREFACE.

The history of the humblest human life is a tale of marvels. Dr. Johnson said that there was not a man in the street whose biography might not be made interesting, provided he could narrate something of his experiences of life, his trials, his difficulties, his successes, and his failures. I use these words as an introduction to the following biography of my “man in the street.” Yet Thomas Edward is not an ordinary man. Eighteen years since, I mentioned him in Self-Help , as one of the most extr

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FAUNA OF BANFFSHIRE.

By GEORGE REID, R.S.A....

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CHAPTER I. EARLY YEARS.

Thomas Edward was born at Gosport, Portsmouth, on Christmas day, 1814. His father, John Edward, was a private in the Fifeshire Militia. Shortly after his enlistment at Cupar, he went to Aberdeen to join his regiment. While stationed there, he became acquainted with, and afterwards married, Margaret Mitchell, a native of the place. Not long after John Edward’s marriage, his regiment was ordered to Portsmouth. Towards the close of the continental war, militia regiments were marched hither and thit

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CHAPTER II. SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS.

Edward was between four and five years old when he went to school. He was sent there principally that he might be kept out of harm’s way. He did not go willingly; for he was of a roving, wandering disposition, and did not like to be shut up anywhere. He hated going to school. He was confined there about four hours a day. It might seem very little to some, but it was too much for him. He wanted to be free to roam about the Inches, up the Denburn, and along the path to Rubislaw, bird-nesting. The

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CHAPTER III. APPRENTICESHIP.

The boy was learning idle habits. He refused to go back to the Lancaster school. Indeed, from the cruel treatment he had received there, his parents did not ask him to return. He had now been expelled from three schools. If he went to a fourth, it is probable that he might also have been expelled from that. It would not do for him to go scouring the hills in search of adders, or to bring them home to the “terrification” of his neighbours. He himself wished to go to work. His parents at last gave

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CHAPTER IV. RUNS AWAY FROM HOME.

At last Edward determined to run away from home, and from Charlie Begg’s cruelty, and to visit his wonderful uncle at the Kettle. The village is situated nearly in the centre of the county of Fife,—about a hundred miles from Aberdeen. Edward did not know a step of the road; but he would try and do his best to reach the far-off place. The first thing that he wanted was money. All his earnings had gone into the family purse, and were used for family expenses. One day, when his mother had gone out,

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CHAPTER V. RESUMES WORK.

Instead of going directly back to his work, Edward went down to the harbour to ascertain whether any of the captains would accept of his services as a sailor. He went from ship to ship for three days. Some captains were willing to take him with an indenture, which would have to be signed by his father. Others were willing to take him without his father’s consent; but in that case they required two sureties to sign the indenture. These were serious obstacles—too serious to be got over,—and on the

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CHAPTER VI. SETTLES AT BANFF.

Edward was about twenty years old when he left Aberdeen, and went to Banff to work at his trade. He found a master there willing to employ him. Shoemaking had not improved. Men worked long hours for little wages. The hardest worker could only earn a scanty livelihood. Though paid by the piece, the journeymen worked in the employers’ shops. Their hours were from six in the morning till nine at night. They had scarcely an interval of time that they could call their own. Edward found the confinemen

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CHAPTER VII. NIGHT WANDERERS.

Although it is comparatively easy to observe the habits of animals by day, it is much more difficult to do so at night. Edward, as we have already said, was compelled by circumstances to work at shoemaking by day, and to work at Natural History by night. “It would have been much easier work for me,” said Edward, in answer to an inquiry made as to his nocturnal observations, “had it been my good fortune to possess but a single trustworthy book on the subject, or even a single friend who could hav

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CHAPTER VIII. FORMS A NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION.

Banff was the central point of Edward’s operations. Banff is a pleasant country town, situated on the southern shore of the Moray Firth. It lies on a gentle slope inclining towards the sea. In front of it is the harbour. Although improved by Telford, it is rather difficult of access and not much frequented except during the fishing season. Westward of Banff, a low range of hills lies along the coast. The burns of the Boyne, Portsoy, and Cullen cross the range, and run into the sea. The fishing t

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CHAPTER IX. EXHIBITS HIS COLLECTION IN ABERDEEN.

Banff was a comparatively small and remote town; whereas Aberdeen was the centre of northern intellect and business. At Banff, comparatively few persons knew much about natural history or science; whilst Aberdeen had two universities, provided with professors, students, and all the accompaniments of learning. It also contained a large and intelligent population of educated business men, tradesmen, and artizans. Edward was sanguine of success at Aberdeen. It was his City of Expectations. He was n

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CHAPTER X. RESUMES HIS FORMER HABITS.

Edward had left Banff on the 31st of July 1846, full of hope; after six weeks he returned to it, full of despair. He had gone to Aberdeen with his collection, accompanied by his wife and family; he returned from it alone and on foot, without a single specimen of his collection, and without a penny in his pocket that he could call his own. He felt ruined, disappointed, beggared,—his aims and hopes in life blasted. He was under the necessity of leaving his wife and children at Aberdeen; for they c

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CHAPTER XI. BEGINS TO PUBLISH HIS OBSERVATIONS.

Shortly after Edward’s return from Aberdeen, his old and much esteemed friend, the Rev. James Smith, of the Manse of Monquhitter, situated about ten miles south-east of Banff, lent him some works on Natural History. These enabled Edward to ascertain the names of some of the birds which he discovered in the neighbourhood. One day, while walking along the sea-coast, Edward shot a Bridled Guillemot ( Uria lachrymans ),—a bird not before known to frequent the district. When he informed Mr. Smith of

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CHAPTER XII. RAMBLES AMONGST BIRDS.

The Reverend Mr. Smith must have felt surprised at the graphic manner in which Edward described the birds of the district. The truth is, that Edward, though he had acquired his principal knowledge from observation, had also learnt something from books. Mr. Smith had lent him such books as he had in his library, and also referred him to the articles on Natural History in the Penny Cyclopedia . Although Edward did not accept his friend’s advice as to the study of grammar, yet he learnt enough for

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CHAPTER XIII. LITERATURE AND CORRESPONDENCE.

A great misfortune befell Edward in 1854: his friend the Rev. Mr. Smith died. He was a man whose richly cultivated mind and warm heart endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. He was almost the only man of culture in the neighbourhood who appreciated the character of Edward. He not only made himself his friend, but became his helper. Edward was under the impression that people looked down upon him and his work, because he was a poor shoemaker. There were other persons who knew of Edward

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CHAPTER XIV. BY THE SEA-SHORE.

Edward had for some time been extending his investigations to the tenants of the deep. His wanderings had for the most part been along-shore in search of sea-birds. But, as early as 1856, we find him corresponding with Mr. Macdonald of Elgin as to Zoophytes, with Mr. Blackwood of Aberdeen as to Algæ, and with Mr. C. Spence Bate of Plymouth as to Crustacea. Now that he had to abandon his night wanderings, and to give up his gun, he resolved to devote himself more particularly to the Natural Histo

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CHAPTER XV. DISCOVERIES AMONG THE CRUSTACEA.

The reader will find this chapter, as well as the next, rather uninteresting. But it is necessary that the chapters should be written, in order to show the contributions which Edward made to the scientific discoveries of his day. Mr. C. Spence Bate of Plymouth, the well-known zoologist, entered into correspondence with Edward in 1856, while the latter was engaged in collecting marine objects along the sea-coast of Banff. It appears that Mr. Bate had sent to Edward some publications on Natural Hi

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CHAPTER XVI. DISCOVERIES AMONGST ZOOPHYTES, MOLLUSCS, AND FISHES.

At the same time that Edward was occupied in searching out new species of Crustaceans for Mr. Spence Bate and Mr. Norman, he was also collecting marine objects for other naturalists. He found numerous Star-fish, Zoophytes, Molluscs, and Sponges, which he sent to his naturalist correspondents to be named. Edward always endeavoured to bring home the fishes, crustaceans, and other sea objects that he captured, alive; for the purpose of watching their manners and habits. He had always plenty of dish

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CHAPTER XVII. ANTIQUITIES—KITCHEN-MIDDENS.

Edward had now been working for about ten years along the sea-shore—collecting Crustacea, Molluscs, Fish, and marine objects. He had won his honours, and lost his health. His medical attendant had often warned him to give up night work, and avoid exposure of all kinds. But though Edward had given up night work and partly recovered his health, he would not give up the study of Nature. He was now, however, compelled to abandon it altogether. [54] The doctor was called in again, and found him utter

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CHAPTER XVIII. CONCLUSION.

Edward’s labours were now drawing to a close. He had fought the fight of science inch by inch, until he could fight no more. He had also fought the fight of honest poverty—a great triumph and a great glory. It is said that the man who can pay his way is not poor. Edward could always do that. He was in no man’s debt. He had lived within his means, small though they were. Towards the end of his life, he could only earn about eight shillings a week. But his children were now growing up; and as he h

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THE FAUNA OF BANFFSHIRE.

[Only a selection of the Fauna is given in the following pages. Had the Insects, Reptiles, Starfishes, Zoophytes, Molluscs, Plants, etc., which Edward found in Banffshire, been given, it would have more than filled the present volume.] By THOMAS EDWARD, A.L.S....

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BIRDS.

With the stormy petrel ends my List of the Birds of Banffshire. Many species given as “rare” may turn out to be of frequent occurrence, and many given as “occasional visitors” may prove to be natives. Species, too, not mentioned in this List may have to be included in the birds of the county; and no one will be more pleased to hear of such additions than myself....

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CRUSTACEA.

Stenorhynchus Rostratus. Stenorhynchus tenuirostris . Inachus Dorsetensis. Inachus leptochirus . Hyas Araneus. Hyas coarctatus . Eurynome aspera. From deep water. Cancer pagurus [ Parten ]. Pirimela denticulata. In rock pools, and from deep water. Carcinus mœnas. See p. 271 . Portumnus latipes. Amongst sand at low tide. Polybius Henslowi. Portunus puber. Portunus holsatus . Portunus corrugatus . Portunus depurator . Portunus marmoreus . Portunus longipes . Portunus pusillus . From stomachs of fi

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ADDENDA.

Cheirocratus mantis. Helleria coalita. Nebalia bipes. From deep water. Burrows. Phoxichilidium coccineum. In rock pools. Nymphon gracile. } Nymphon hirtum . } Sea-spiders. Nymphon grossipes .} Pallene brevirostris. Pycnogonum littorale. In rock pools. Anomalocera Patersonii. Cetochilus septentrionalis. Both these are occasionally met with during summer, in millions. Notodelphys ascidicola. Found in the branchial sac of Ascidia mentula and communis. Peltidium purpureum. From deep water. Caligus d

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