136 HENRY BOSWELL. 



been more or less actively going on ; nor has the builder's assist- 

 ance been wanting, many old botanizing grounds being now covered 

 with houses." 



Boswell had no sympathy with the maker of micro-species, and 

 the unconditional surrender of Braithwaite to Lindberg's nomen- 

 clature rather prejudiced him against the law of priority. He had 

 very decided opinions, not only on botanical matters, but also on 

 political and social matters ; but he took no active part either in 

 municipal work or in political contests. He behaved with great 

 generosity to me when I was compiling my O.vfurdshire Flora, and 

 gave me a large number of localities. In 1894 he allowed me the 

 use of his note-book, that I might transcribe his records for my 

 Berkshire Flora, a privilege which I valued very greatly. He was 

 a member of our local Natural History Society, and read an 

 important paper on Sphagnums at one of its meetings. I have 

 asked Mr. H. E. Garnsey, whose friendship with Mr. Boswell was 

 of older date and closer nature than my own, to express his 

 estimate of Boswell as a bryologist, and he writes as follows : — 



" I can say but little about Mr. Boswell's earlier years, for our 

 friendship did not ripen into intimacy till within the last twenty 

 years of his life. He has told me that as a boy he took a pleasure 

 in the sights and sounds of nature ; and though a botanist chiefly 

 from the first, he did not confiue his attention to the vegetable 

 kingdom, but acquired no slight knowledge of other branches 

 of natural history, the notes of birds being a favourite study with 

 him among other things. But it was to botany that he especially 

 devoted his time and labour ; and while still a young man he had 

 made himself a competent authority on British flowering plants 

 generally and on those of his own district of England in particular. 

 His work with the Phanerogams, and his views in dealing with 

 them, always seemed to me to be conceived more in the modern 

 spirit than were the labours of most of the English botanists 

 of that time. 



"It was after this period of his life — the exact time I cannot 

 fix— that he began to give special attention to the Muscinete, and 

 it was thus that he became associated with the band of Lancashire 

 botanists, who did so much in the early part of the century to 

 enlarge our acquaintance with this branch of the vegetable king- 

 dom. He became the companion and friend of Wilson, of Dr. 

 Wood of Manchester, and others, and from his written correspon- 

 dence with them I learnt the opinion which they entertained of his 

 knowledge and powers, and the value which they set on his judg- 

 ment in critical questions. It was by the gradual extension of this 

 opinion among a large number of British bryologists that he came 

 to occupy for so many years an almost unique position as a general 

 referee and arbiter in cases of difficulty and division of opinion, a 

 position which he continued to hold as long as he retained his 

 powers of mind and body. He was the frequent companion in 

 what may be called the middle portion of his life of his north 

 country friends in their botanical rambles, and was in frequent 

 communication with them on botanical subjects during the time 



