lO TRANSACTIOXS; NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OP GLASGOW; 



For several years subsequent to 1881, when his paper on " The 

 Cultivation of the Potato in its Native Country " was read to the 

 Society, his attention was directed to the subject of the potato- 

 disease. As the disease is unknown in Chile, he considered it 

 probable that tubers imported from that country might possess a 

 power of resisting the attacks of the fungus. Supplies were 

 accordingly obtained, and distributed for experimental culture in 

 various parts of England and Scotland. But the results of these 

 experiments, which were embodied in three papers submitted to 

 the Society, established the fact that imported tubers become at 

 length affected with the disease when grown in this country. 



The excursions in connection with his own classes interfered 

 with his regular attendance at the excursions of the Society, but 

 he was present at these whenever free from other engagements. 

 No other botanist in our Society had so extensive an acquaint- 

 ance with the local flora, and the excursions for fungi and algse 

 were generally placed under his leadership. His scrupulous 

 accuracy, and habitual caution in determining species, have im- 

 parted to the stores of information which he has been instru- 

 mental in recording in the Proceedings of the Society a value 

 which they would not otherwise have possessed. 



In 1879 it was decided that in the autumn of the following 

 year the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland should hold its 

 annual conference in our city, under the presidentship of 

 Dr. James Stirton, F.L.S., Glasgow. This Society had 

 been established in 1874 to promote research in Scottish 

 Cryptogamic Botany, and the attention of its members had 

 been chiefly devoted to mycology. It was suggested that a 

 local committee should be appointed to make arrangements for 

 the conference, and also to arrange for an exhibition of fungi and 

 other cryptogamic plants. The suggestion was brought under 

 the notice of the Council of our Society by Dr. Stirton, and a com- 

 mittee was afterwards appointed, with Mr. King as its convener. 

 This had the effect of inducing him to direct his attention more 

 especially to mycology, which ever afterwards remained his 

 favourite department of botanical research. With the view of 

 awakening the interest of our Society in this subject, three papers 

 on " Fungi," illustrated with drawings, specimens, and microscopic 

 preparations, were read by him at meetings held during 1880. 



