ANOTHER DISCOVERY.
Edward also discovered a specimen of the Leptoclinum punctatum which had been thrown on shore during a severe storm. It was of a most beautiful greenish colour, variegated 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 genus with star-shaped calcareous crystals embedded in them. The species that you have sent has the star-shaped crystals, and differs in colour from any I have seen, being of a greenish-blue colour. I put it into water to moisten it after it came, and it stained the water of a blue colour. I presume, therefore, that it would be of that colour when fresh. It seems, from the seaweed 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 notice 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 Mollusca along the Banffshire coast. “It is young, ardent, and devoted workers,” said Edward, “that are wanted to bring such things to light.”
MR. COUCH OF POLPERRO.
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 opportunity 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 address. Mr. Couch requested an inspection of the curious fish, together with an account of its exact colour when fresh from the sea, and also the particular circumstances, of weather or otherwise, under which so large a number of the fishes had been taken. The information asked for, was at once furnished by Edward. Dr. Gray also requested a specimen for the British Museum, which was forwarded to London.
THE WRASSES.
Now that Edward had found another opening for his discoveries, he proceeded to send numerous new specimens of fish for Mr. Couch’s identification. Mr. Couch having informed him that he was then employed upon the Wrasses, Edward immediately began to search for Wrasses, and shortly after he despatched numbers of them to Polperro. Among the specimens of Wrass (labrus) which Edward sent to Mr. Couch, there was one which Cuvier described as being found only in New Guinea, on the farther side of the world. “And yet,” said Mr. Couch, after examining the fish, “I cannot suppose that fishes from New Guinea can have visited you.” The finding of this fish at New Guinea and at the Moray Firth furnished only another illustration of the scarcity of observers in Natural History; for it must certainly, like most other species, have existed in numerous other parts of the world besides these.
A JUMPING WRASSE.
In describing his little fish, Edward says: “Although I cannot say much of importance concerning the traits of our little friend, still there is one which cannot be passed over in silence. It is this—on coming out of the water after I took the prize, I had occasion to lay it down upon the sand until a bottle was prepared for its reception and exclusive use, as I was anxious to take it home alive, so that I might see and learn as much of its habits as possible. Whilst thus employed, I was rather surprised at seeing it frequently leap several inches at a time. Thinking that the damp sand might have in some way or other aided the operation, when I got home I placed it on a dry board to see how it would perform there. It did just the same. Away it jumped, jump after jump, until I was fully satisfied that there was no difference as to place; after which I put him again into his little aquarium. I now observed, however, that the tail, which is pretty large, was the chief and most important object used. The head and shoulders were first raised a little, and then, by a doubling of the tail, which acted as a kind of spring, the animal was, by a slight jerk, enabled to raise and propel itself forward, or to either side, and not unfrequently right over. In the water, too, when touched with anything, instead of swimming away as fish generally do, it merely leaped or jerked to one side in order to avoid the annoyance. I am not exactly aware whether this gymnastic performance is a common propensity with this family of fishes or not, but it was so with this specimen.”
After further observations, Edward came to the conclusion that these little fishes were inhabitants of our own seas, but that they differed from those which Cuvier had described. He was of opinion that, from the differences which he had observed between the true Wrasses and the fish in question, it might yet be necessary, after further investigation, to place it in a new or sub-genus. In that case a portion of the name would require to be changed, and until then, Edward held that its name should be the “Microscopical Wrasse of the Moray Firth.”