Free Manse,
Keig,
7th July, 1865
My Dear Archibald,[2]
I hope you have received, within the last day or two, the body of a bat which I rescued from the hands of Lucy[3] and delivered to Willie McDonald[4] to send to you. It was to have been sent by Papa on Monday, had he not been uncertain whether he would have time to call at Alford Place.[5] I think it is a very good specimen though not of large size. I have made lately one or two Zoological observations, but none of importance. You will perhaps be surprised to hear that till this spring I have never seen the skylark within the bounds of the Vale of Alford. This spring however I observed a pair in a field not far from this, which denotes an increase of our Fauna.
By-the-by the squirrel [6] also which was unknown two or three years ago is now very common in our woods. Yesterday I watched one for a long time very near the house. Its efforts to get out of sight without coming off the trees were very amusing. After proceeding for about a hundred yards, it reached a point where the trees were so far apart as to prevent its further progress, and was obliged to retrace its whole course. It then took another direction but was after all obliged to take the ground for a few feet. The descent and re-ascent were performed with astounding agility; in fact I think it ran much faster up the tree trunk than on the ground. This manoeuvre enabled it to join its mate in a bushy tree, which after some time they left together for another expedition in mid-air. This is not a particularly interesting subject for a letter, but I can assure you the sight of it was a very pretty and amusing one.
Now is the season, I think, for learning about birds. Last night, at one time, in one plot of our garden, I counted the following species at least — Sparrow, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Tomtit, Yellow-hammer, Wren, and I think one or two others whose names I do not remember. I saw today a pair of very pretty birds — I suppose Whin-chats, which I do not remember to have seen before, at least, lately.
Have you seen or heard of the “Ootheca Wolleyana”[7] an illustrated catalogue of what the Saturday Review (which reviews the work) believes to be “by far the largest and most complete series of the eggs of European birds in existence”? This collection was formed by a Mr Wolley who died in 1859. The Accipitres[8] only are as yet published. The review is a rather interesting one but I suppose you will either see the book or at least some notice of it. I am much surprised at having written a whole sheet of Zoology (such as it is); and having got so far I may add, that the deer have already, though the season has not been a dry one, found their way from the hill[9] to the fields near us. I myself have not seen any, but some of the others have.
Have you got any more shells lately? I have half a mind to set about collecting when I go to Macduff, but I do not know how I could find the names.
I hope you find the work at the office agreeable. George Anderson apparently likes it very well. I had a letter from him lately written in the office, a fact which indicates no great press of labour.
I have not yet got the gold medal[10] but expect it soon, as it is in the hands of the engraver. How is Henderson[11] keeping? Is he working hard?
With kind regards to Mrs McDonald and Mrs Yeats.
I am,
Yours sincerely,
Wm. R. Smith
[1] CUL ADD MSS 7476 M001 TS
[2] Written at Keig while recuperating from the severe illness which he suffered during his final examinations at Aberdeen University, this letter illustrates Smith’s observational skills, although natural history was not a subject of particular interest or appeal to him in later days, as subsequent letters indicate.
[3] Smith, Lucy (1859–1922): tenth of the eleven Smith children, was the youngest daughter. As a child she had a happy, carefree nature but no great aptitude for academic learning. She accompanied Alice to Germany and, following the disappointment of a broken promise of marriage, became governess to J. F. McLennan’s family, remaining as companion to his widow after McLennan’s early death. It was Lucy who nursed her brother during the last weeks of his illness before his death in 1894 at Cambridge. Subsequently she went to London, becoming a dedicated nurse and later matron at St Thomas’s Hospital. Forced to leave her work following a serious illness, she went to India with her unmarried brother, Charlie, as his housekeeper and later, when he needed constant care, his nurse. She died in 1922, a few months before her brother. [COTM]
[4] Willie was Archie McDonald’s younger brother, who, it may be inferred, was at the time receiving coaching at Keig Manse from WPS during the summer holidays.
[5] Aberdeen Free Church College was located in Alford Place, Aberdeen.
[6] The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) common to the Highland area is the species referred to.
[7] The typescript erroneously gives “Sotheca Wolleyana”. Wolley’s ambitious but incomplete compendium of birds’ eggs (publ. London, 1864) is cited by Prof. Alfred Newton as one of “the principal oological works” in the article “Birds” in EB9 iii, p.774 — ironically, the same 1875 volume as contained Smith’s article “Bible”.
[8] Hawk family.
[9] Cairn William, whose slopes rise up directly behind the manse at Keig.
[10] Although unable to complete his exams, WRS was nevertheless awarded his degree of MA following a bedside interview. In addition he gained the Town Council’s gold medal presented annually to the most able final year student.
[11] George Anderson and Henderson are unidentified but likely to be student friends.