LONEAN SOCIETY OF LON^DON. 67 



Besides tliese systematic papers, nuinerous notes were published 

 in various jouriials, as well as memoirs on the " Conjuoation of 

 the Zygnemace83 " (1891) and " Observations on the Coniuffatae " 

 (1898). 



Speaking broadly, the earlier papers (to 1893 or so) appeared 

 as by William AVest, most of the later ones as by himself and his 

 son jointly ; but the actual co-operation in the work had extended 

 over the whole period of investigation, and of later years the 

 algological work fell to the son, the father devoting attention to 

 ecological studies of bryophytes and lichens, his latest paper — 

 and one intended to be the first of a series — being read to the 

 Linnean Society a month after his decease. 



The algological work above summarized did not by any means 

 exhaust the potentialities of the subject, and led up to a systematic 

 investigation on another line — that of the Phytoplankton of lakes 

 and rivers. In this the two Wests were the pioneer workers in 

 Britain, and they set about their task in characteristically ample 

 fashion, commencing the detailed field-work about 1900, devoting 

 the vacation months of several years to the exploration of the 

 lakes of Western and Southern Scotland, Northern England, 

 Wales, Western and South-Avestern Ireland, as well as Lough 

 Neagh, Malliam Tarn, and the rivers Ouse, Lochay, and Bann. 

 The results achieved were of high importance, showing that the 

 Phytoplankton of lakes in extreme Western Europe, and parti- 

 cularly the British Isles, differed completely from those of 

 Central Europe by the presence and dominance of Desmids, and 

 Mere quite a revelation and surprise to European algologists. 



The culminaticm of the algological work was the publi<'ation by 

 the Eay Society of the first four volumes (1904, 1905, 1908, 

 1911) of the six of their Monograph of the British Desmidiacea?. 



Such was the work accomplished by William West. Of the 

 man himself it remains to be noted that his personality was such 

 as to endear him to everyone with whom he came in contact. As 

 a science teacher ho Mas remarkably successful, and he enlisted 

 the affections of his students in a most extraordinary degree. As 

 a lield-uaturalist he M-as an ardent lover of Nature in all her 

 aspects, and he was a man of warm enthusiasms, Mith a singular 

 charm of manner and a vein of quiet genial humour ; so that he 

 was most beloved by those who (like the present writer) knew him 

 longest and most intimately. 



He was elected a Fellow of this Society on 17th March, 1887, 

 and was the only one resident in Bradford at the time of his 

 death. 



The most characteristic porti^ait of West is the one published 

 in the 'Journal of Botany' for July 1914, along with a memoir 

 by the present writer. A much fuller memoir (also by the present 

 writer) is published in ' The Naturalist ' for July and August 

 1914, also illustrated by a (different) portrait, and to this memoir 

 is appended a bibliographical list of West's principal papers and 

 notes. [W. Dexisox Eoebuck.] 



/2 



