_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 History of the sea-shore.
Here was a great field open for him. The Moray Firth had never been
properly searched for marine productions. It was full of fish, and also
of the various marine objects that fish feed upon.
When Professor Macgillivray called upon Edward at Banff, he expressed
his surprise at the meagreness of the list of Crustacea and Testacea
found along the Moray coast. In fact, the catalogue of Fishes
(excepting herring, cod, haddock, and the other edible fishes) was
almost barren. There was no want of marine objects; the principal want
was, in careful observers. To this extensive field of observation,
Edward now proposed to devote his special attention.
[Sidenote: _EDWARD’S SEA-TRAPS._]
He had considerable difficulty to encounter in proceeding with this
branch of scientific work. He had no dredge of any sort. He had no
boat, nor could he obtain the loan of one. How then did he proceed? He
gathered together all the old pots, pans, pails, and kettles, which
he could procure in his neighbourhood. He filled these with straw,
grass, bits of old clothes, or bits of blankets. A coat and trousers
cut down were found very useful. These were Edward’s sea-traps. Having
put a heavyish stone at the bottom 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 Algæ.
When the traps were drawn up, Edward obtained from them small fishes,
crustaceans, molluscs (with or without shells), starfish, worms, and
the smaller kinds of sea-mice. He took them to a shallow pool, and
shook out the contents; 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 anything 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 Algæ, 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.
[Sidenote: _CAPTURES A RARE FISH._]
Here is the manner in which he once caught Bloch’s Gurnard (_Trigla
Blochii_). 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 amongst 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 a great deal of trouble
and occupied a considerable time to capture the fish. “If it had not,”
says he, “been a rarity, I should most certainly have given in and
acknowledged myself beaten long before my object was accomplished; for
between water and perspiration I was in a pitiable plight before I
gained the victory. As it was, however, I was well repaid in the end,
besides the fun; that is, if there is any other person than myself
so foolish as to call splashing up to the shoulders and eyes amongst
brine, seaweed, and slippery rocks, ‘fun.’ Although the fish is not
large, mine is a splendidly-marked specimen. In the water, and whilst
shooting across and athwart the pool, its bright colours had a most
beautiful appearance. The spot on the first dorsal is rather of a
dark-purplish colour than black, and very conspicuous when the animal
is swimming. I am not aware of this species ever before having been
detected on this part of the coast.”
[Sidenote: _THE INCOMING WAVE._]
Knowing from observation that many marine objects are cast on shore at
the rising of each tide, especially when the weather is stormy, Edward
walked along the margin of the incoming wave, ready to pick up anything
that might be driven ashore. Sometimes he would observe some object
in the water—a fish or a shrimp of some unusual kind—which he desired
to capture. He followed it into the sea with a piece of gauze tied on
a small hoop; and fished for it until he had caught it. He discovered
many new objects in this way.
It is almost incredible what may be got along the sea-margin, by
carefully searching the incoming wave. This, however, required
unwearied assiduity. Edward discovered many of his rarest insects
amongst those driven ashore by the wind. It was thus that he obtained
most of his rare Crustaceans. He himself had no doubt, that, had his
health been prolonged, he would have discovered many more.
Besides these methods for collecting marine objects, he found that
tangle roots were a special hiding-place for many species that were
beyond the power of the dredge, and that never entered the traps set
by him along shore. They were not, however, beyond the power of
the elements. But for the tempest, that tears them from the rocks,
and dashes them on shore, such objects would never have been found.
Whenever a storm occurred in the Moray Firth, Edward immediately went
out, collected the tangle which had been driven in, cut off as many
roots as he could carry with him, and carefully examined them at home.
[Sidenote: _FISHES THE BEST DREDGERS._]
He was also greatly helped by the fishes themselves, as well as by the
fishermen. It is true that he had no dredge and no boat. But big fish
were themselves the best of all dredgers. They fed far out at sea, at a
depth where the dredge could scarcely reach. The fishermen caught them,
and brought them into port, full of what they had swallowed. Edward
therefore endeavoured to obtain the contents of their stomachs. For
this purpose he sent some of his daughters to the neighbouring fishing
villages. They went to Macduff and Whitehills twice a week, and to the
Banff fishermen daily. The object of their visits was, to search the
fishermen’s lines, to bring away the sea-weed and all the stuff that
was attached to them, and to secure as many of the fish stomachs as
they could find. One of his daughters was sent to Gardenstown, where
she lived with a friend. From thence, she sent home her collection
of fish stomachs twice a week by the carrier. All this rubbish (as
most people called it) was carefully examined by Edward. From these
searchings he obtained most of his rarest crustaceans. “It is quite
wonderful,” he says, “what is to be got in this way. Indeed, no one
would believe it who has not made the experiment.”
[Sidenote: _THE COD’S BILL OF FARE._]
[Sidenote: _CODS AND HADDOCKS._]
Take, for instance, the Cod’s bill of fare. “It is to the stomach of
this species,” says Edward, “that I am most indebted for many of the
rarest of the testaceous and crustaceous specimens that I possess.
I will only mention what I have myself seen: crabs and lobsters of
almost every description (except _Homarus vulgaris_, which I have
never yet found), from the prickly Stone Crab (_Lithodes maia_) up
to the hard Parten (_Cancer pagurus_), and the larger the better.
Shells of every sort, particularly _Fusus antiquus_ and _Buccinium
Undatum_; no matter whether inhabited by their original possessor,
or by a hermit in the form of a Pagurus,—it is no obstacle to the
voracious Cod. Shrimps, fish-lice, sea-mice (_Aphrodita aculeata_),
sea-urchins, with now and then a starfish; ‘Dead Men’s Paps,’ as they
are called here (_Alcyonium_), and Actinias—no matter what they may be
attached to, whether a shell or a stone,[44] provided these are not
themselves fixtures,—all are gulped by this most unceremonious fish.
The eggs, capsules, or purses of the Dog-fish (_Scyllium_) and the
Skate, with the roe and the ova of other species, particularly when
deposited on seaweed; the Algæ and the Zoophytes also walk down the
Cod’s gullet, so that nothing may be lost. As for the _Holothuridæ_ or
Sea-cucumbers, few if any of them escape. Now and then fragments of
the Medusæ are swallowed; feathers, with the remains of sea-fowl; and,
on one occasion, the skeleton of a _partridge_, with the wings, feet,
legs, and head adhering. Pieces of pewter and of cloth occasionally;
and once a cluster of beech-nuts, with part of a domestic fowl. As for
fish!—why, the fish does not swim that the Cod, when hungry, will not
attack, and, if successful, swallow. In short, nothing seems to come
amiss. But this outline of the Cod’s bill of fare does not include all
that the animal preys upon and devours. It is enough, however, to show
its epicurean propensities. The Cod is extensively fished for along
this part of the coast, and may be termed _the poor man’s salmon_.
Great numbers are salted and dried, and in that state are sent to the
southern markets. The Haddock, like the Cod, is extensively taken,
and largely cured and forwarded south. Like the Cod, the stomach of
this species is also a rich mine for the Naturalist, as the reader may
already have anticipated from the foregoing list.”[45]
[Sidenote: _APPEAL TO THE FISHERMEN._]
In order to obtain all these products of the sea, Edward went round
among the fishermen from Crovie to Portsoy, and pressed them to help
him in his researches. He told them that many an object of great
interest to Naturalists was daily thrown away. Though it might be of
no use to them, it might prove of great use to science. “Oh!” said the
fishermen, “we canna tell what the fellow wants: we get so muckle trash
upon our lines. Are we to keep it all?”
“Yes,” replied Edward, “keep it all. Lay it carefully aside, and I or
my daughters will call for it.” A few of the fishermen did what Edward
told them to do; but the others “couldna be fashed.”
Edward published his advice to the fishermen in the _Banffshire
Journal_. “How little trouble,” he said, “would it be for any fisherman
who might find a rare fish, crab, shell, or zoophyte, or such like
object attached to his lines, to get it examined and named, so that its
occurrence might be recorded. This could be done, and then he could, if
so minded, dispose of it to the best advantage. Or what great ‘fash’
could it be for them to keep the cleanings of their lines for a like
scientific purpose?
“It is quite astonishing what amazing numbers of minute creatures are
at times to be found amongst the refuse of only one boat’s lines. No
one would believe it, except those who are in the habit of carefully
examining such things. The ocean is, as it were, one vast and boundless
expanse of life, and the inhabitants thereof about as numberless as
the sands by the sea-shore. I have myself, and that too under the most
disadvantageous circumstances, picked off from a dead valve of _Cyprina
Islandica_ nine distinct species of shells, three different kinds of
starfish, and five separate sorts of zoophytes, besides worms and
a number of other parasitical animals. Yet this is nothing to what
is at times to be met with; and yet such things are, I may say, all
but universally thrown away for no other or better purpose than that
of being trod upon and destroyed. I will now, in order to show the
truthfulness of my statement, enumerate a few of the objects which
have thus been cast aside by those who had brought them on shore, but
which were again picked up by my _gleaners_, and thereby redeemed,
as it were, for a time from destruction, by being deposited in my
collection:—_Anomia patelliformis_, _Circe minuta_, _Venus casina_,
_Venus fasciata_, _Tellina proxima_, _Tellina crassa_, _Mangelia
linearis_, _Pentunculus glycimeris_, _Psammobia tellinella_, _Astarte
compressa_, _Corbula nucleus_, _Emarginula reticulata_, _Thracia
villiosulca_, _Chiton lævis_, etc. etc.
“Now, I don’t say that these are all new species, but I say that they
are amongst the rarest of our shells. The two first named are, if I
mistake not, new, not only to us, but new to this northern part of the
island. In works on Conchology, no mention is made of either having
been previously found on the shores of the Moray Firth, although they
are not unfrequent on other parts of the British coast.”
[Sidenote: _THE FISHERMEN HELP HIM._]
The fishermen of Macduff helped him greatly. Amongst the rare fishes
caught by them were the Sandsucker (_Platessa limandoides_); the Small
Spotted Dog-fish (_Scyllium canicula_); the Blue-striped Wrasse
(_Labrus variegatus_), a very rare fish; a specimen of the Cuttle-fish
(_Loligo vulgaris_), the length of which was four feet, with a splendid
Gladius of above fifteen inches long. In enumerating these fishes
brought to him by the fishermen of Macduff, Edward asked, “What are
our own Banff fishermen and those of Whitehills about, that they never
bring in any rare objects of this sort? Do they never get anything
attached to their lines worthy of notice—worthy of a place in a
Naturalist’s cabinet, or in a corner of the Museum? Why won’t they help
us? Just because of their want of Will. They, like many more, go about
in what might be termed a state of daylight somnambulism; that is, with
eyes and ears both open, and yet they neither see nor hear of any of
these things.”
[Sidenote: _THE WELCOME STRANGER._]
[Sidenote: _THE SAURY PIKE._]
Edward’s appeal was at length responded to. The fishermen began to
collect things for him, and they allowed his girls to strip their nets
of “the rubbish” they contained. One evening some unknown fisherman
sent him a present of a Saury Pike (_Scomberesox saurius_). Edward’s
family were surprised at hearing some person, very heavily shod,
ascending the stairs. One said it was a horse and cart; another said
it was the Rooshians. The door was suddenly opened and flung bang
against the wall, when in rushed—neither the horse and cart nor the
Rooshians,—but a little urchin, out of breath, with his mouth wide
open. There he stood, staring bewildered round the room; but with a
fish of a silvery hue dangling from his hand. After he had regained his
breath he roared out, “Is Tam in?” “No.” “’Cause I ha’e a beast till
him.” “Fa gi’ed ye’t?” “A man.” “Fatna man?” “Dinna ken!” “Fat like
was he?” “Canna tell.” “Fat had he on?” “Dinna mind; only that he had
a coat ower his airm.” “Fat said he t’ye when he gi’ed ye the beast?”
“Oh, he bade me take it till Tam Edward, and get a penny for’t till
mysel.”
The fish was accepted, the penny was given, and the boy tramped
downstairs again. On returning home, Edward found a splendid specimen
of the above rare fish. The next number of the _Journal_ acknowledged
receipt of the fish. In the article describing it, Edward said—“By
whom the fish was sent, or where it was found (though doubtless in the
neighbourhood, from its freshness), remains as yet a mystery. However,
thanks to ‘the man with the coat ower his airm’ in the meantime, and
to many others whose kindness and attention, though their gifts are
not particularised here, are nevertheless duly appreciated: Likewise,
and in an especial manner, thanks to the fishermen generally of the
district, particularly to our own and those of Whitehills, not only for
their now unremitting attention in securing whatever they deem worthy
of notice themselves; but also, and above all, for their very valuable
assistance given, and their warm-hearted kindness shown to my young
folks when they go a-gleaning amongst them.”
[Sidenote: _EDWARD’S GIRLS HELP HIM._]
Indeed, Edward’s young folks were of great help to him at this time.
Several of his eldest girls went about from place to place in search
of rare fish, and they were sometimes very successful. For instance,
one of them, whilst living with Mr. Gordon at Gardenstown, went on a
zoologising excursion towards the village of Crovie. As the two were
rounding the Snook, they observed a small fish being washed ashore.
Mr. Gordon kicked it with his foot, thinking it was of no use, and
remarking that it was a young sea-cat. “Na,” said Maggie, “it’s nae
sea-cat; it’s ower thin for that. I dinna ken fat it is, but I’ll take
it and send it hame to my father, for he bade me never to miss naething
o’ this kine.” So the fish was sent home, and it proved to be a very
fine specimen of Yarrell’s Blenny.
[Sidenote: _THE EQUOREAL NEEDLE-FISH._]
On another occasion she sent home a specimen of the Black Goby or
Rock-fish (_Gobius niger_), which had been taken from the stomach of a
friendly cod. This was the first fish of the kind found in the Moray
Firth; and of the six species of Gobies found along the coasts of Great
Britain, it is the one most seldom met with. Maggie also made a good
“find” at Fraserburgh, while on a zoological tour with her father.
She was rummaging about amongst the sands, near Broadsea, accompanied
by some of her acquaintances, when she observed something sticking
up out of the sand. At first she thought it was a piece of tangle.
She was about to leave it, when, prompted by curiosity, she gave it
a pull, when, lo and behold! instead of a seaweed, she brought out a
long spindle-like fish. She at once took it to her father, who found
it to be a splendid specimen of the Equoreal Needle-fish (_Syngnathus
æquoreus_), a fish that had never before been found in the Moray Firth.
[Illustration: BROADSEA, NEAR FRASERBURGH.]
A thought may here strike the reader. How was it that Edward knew that
there were six Gobies found along the coasts of Great Britain? How did
he know that the Equoreal Needle-fish had never been found in the Moray
Firth before? And, last of all, How was it that he knew the scientific
names of the Fishes, the Zoophytes, and the Crustacea, which he
collected? The names were, for the most part, Latin. Yet he had never
learnt Latin. He must then have learnt them from books. No! He had no
books. He often ardently desired books; but he was too poor to buy
them. His earnings were scarcely sufficient to enable him to feed and
clothe his children. Under such circumstances a man cannot buy books.
Sometimes his children fared very badly, especially when he was laid up
by illness. At such times they had almost to starve.
[Sidenote: _EDWARD’S INFORMANTS._]
How was it then that, under these difficult circumstances, and amidst
his almost constant poverty, Edward was enabled to carry on the
study of science without the aid of books? He did so by the help of
correspondents at a distance. When he collected a batch of objects, he
sent them off by post to Naturalists in different parts of the country,
for the purpose of obtaining from them the proper names. They referred
to their scientific works, and furnished him with the necessary
information.
Edward sent his specimens of Crustacea to Mr. Spence Bate, of Plymouth,
Devonshire; his fishes to Mr. Couch, of Polperro, Cornwall; and
many other objects to correspondents in Norwich, York, Newcastle,
Birmingham, and London. The Rev. George Gordon, of the manse of
Birnie, Elginshire, was one of his first correspondents respecting
the Crustacea. Mr. Spence Bate was then engaged (in conjunction with
Professor Westwood) in writing the _History of the British Sessile-eyed
Crustacea_. Mr. Gordon first forwarded to him some of Edward’s
specimens, and Edward afterwards corresponded directly with Mr. Bate.
Thus he obtained his scientific knowledge, not from the books in his
own neighbourhood, but from the books of gentlemen sometimes living at
the opposite ends of the island.
[Sidenote: _HOW TO HELP HIM._]
There was, indeed, some talk of supplying Edward with books, to enable
him to pursue his scientific researches. At a public dinner in Banff,
the principal speaker, after paying a high compliment to Edward for his
wonderful perseverance, and his devotion to Natural Science, proceeded
to describe the great influence which books exercised in developing
the powers of the human mind. After informing his audience that they
did not know the value of the man they had got amongst them, he said,
“Assist and encourage him by all the means in your power, but”—here
he paused, and all eyes were turned upon him;—“but,” he continued,
“give him no money—(loud cheers). I know him, as you all do, to be no
drunkard, no idler, but a sober hard-working man. But still, I again
say, give him no money. Give him Books; provide him with the means
of reading, and he is just the man to make money for himself.” The
auditors thought that they had done sufficient justice to Edward by
cheering the proposal of the orator; but it was words—mere words; for
Edward neither got a book, nor even the leaf of a book, from any of his
local admirers.
[Sidenote: _EDWARD’S ENTHUSIASM._]
How different from this cold counsel, was the enthusiasm of Edward
when speaking of his favourite science. In an article which appeared
in the _Naturalist_ on the Rayed Echinodermata of Banffshire, after
regretting the small amount of observation and research which had been
made along the shores of the Moray Firth, he said, “It is a great pity
that the Moray Firth was never dredged by naturalists, as I am led to
believe it never was, on a scale worthy of its waters. If such were
done, and done as it should be, I am quite sure, from what I know,
that many a valuable rarity, and, I have no doubt, many new species,
would be procured, and better got than those already known. If I were
but possessed of half the means that some are, it should not long be
so. Wind and weather permitting, I should have it dredged from the one
end to the other, over and over again. Alas! that Nature, that fair
and comely damsel, whom I supremely admire and love so well, should
have called me into existence at the very moment when _Want_ and
_Starvation_ stood hand in hand, ready to stamp the unconscious heir of
immortality with their accursed brands. Money, it is said, is the root
of all evil; but tell me, ye who know, what the want of it is!”
[Sidenote: _HIS LOST LETTERS._]
We have already said that Edward, because of his want of books on
Natural History, obtained the principal knowledge of the objects
which he discovered from gentlemen at a distance. But even this was
not accomplished without difficulty. It was not always a pleasant
task, and sometimes it was rather expensive,—expensive at least for
a poor man. He occasionally encountered disagreeable rebuffs. Some
complained that they could not read his writing, and that what he said
was unintelligible. Another hindrance was, that when he sent a number
of new specimens to Naturalists at a distance, they were often kept,
and thanks only 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.
[Sidenote: _MR. NEWMAN OF ‘THE ZOOLOGIST’._]
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[46] 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
wonderful 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 information 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, collect, and
preserve them.
Edward had also much correspondence with Mr. Alexander G. More, with
respect to the distribution of birds in Great Britain during the
nesting season. Edward was appointed the observer for Banffshire
and the northern part of Aberdeen. He communicated a great deal
of information about Birds and Bird-nesting, which was afterwards
published in the periodical called _The Ibis_.
But his most important communications were with Mr. Couch as to
Fishes; and with Mr. Spence Bate, and the Rev. A. Merle Norman, as to
Crustacea; which will form the subjects of the following chapters.
FOOTNOTES:
[44] “It is only about nine months since I took from the stomach of a
Cod a stone which weighed above three pounds, to which the remains of
an Actinia were still attached.”
[45] _Naturalist_, 1855.
[46] 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
shopmates, were all surprised at the great number of letters 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.