ded for
them, and Edward sorted them all over, taking home with him all the
newer or more valuable specimens. In this way he was enabled to make
several additions to our knowledge of the living things that inhabit
the sea off the north-east coast of Scotland.

The fishermen also helped him not a little, by giving him many rare
kinds of fish or refuse from their nets, which he duly examined and
classified. As a rule, the hardy men who go on the smacks have a
profound contempt for natural history, and will not be tempted, even by
offers of money, to assist those whom they consider as half-daft
gentlefolk in what seems to them a perfectly useless and almost
childish amusement. But it was different with Tam Edward, the strange
shoemaker whom they all knew so well; if HE wanted fish or rubbish for
his neat collection in the home-made glass cases, why, of course he
could have them, and welcome. So they brought him rare sand-suckers,
and blue-striped wrasse, and saury pike, and gigantic cuttle-fish, four
feet long, to his heart's content. Edward's daughters were now also old
enough to help him in his scientific studies. They used to watch for
the clearing of the nets, and pick out of the refuse whatever they
thought would interest or please their father. But the fish themselves
were Edward's greatest helpers and assistants. As Dr. Smiles quaintly
puts it, they were the best of all possible dredgers. His daughters
used to secure him as many stomachs as possible, and from their
contents he picked out an immense number of beautiful and valuable
specimens. The bill of fare of the cod alone comprised an incredible
variety of small crabs, shells, shrimps, sea-mice, star-fish,
jelly-fish, sea anemones, eggs, and zoophytes. All these went to swell
Edward's new collection of marine animals.

To identify and name so many small and little-known creatures was a
very difficult task for the poor shoemaker, with so few books, and no
opportunities for visiting museums and learned societies. But his
industry and ingenuity managed to surmount all obstacles. Naturalists
everywhere are very willing to aid and instruct one another; especially
are the highest authorities almost always eager to give every help and
encouragement in their power to local amateurs. Edward used to wait
till he had collected a batch of specimens of a single class or order,
and then he would send them by post to learned men in different parts
of the country,