MR. EDWARD HOBSON. 321 
selves. This method has been pursued by Mr. 
Drummond in his ‘ Mosses of Scotland,’ and in 
his inestimable work of the ‘ American Mosses.’ 
“‘ Once, and only once, I had the pleasure of a 
personal interview with Mr. Hobson. It is six- 
teen years ago. He came to me at the Inn, in 
Manchester, bringing with him many of his new 
discoveries, and I scarcely knew which most to 
admire in him, his accurate knowledge of every 
plant he had investigated, or the extreme diffi- 
dence and modesty he displayed in communi- 
cating that knowledge. He had then in the 
examination of mosses only a common pocket lens 
to make use of ; and I had the satisfaction of giv- 
ing him my Ellis’ aquatic microscope by Jones, 
which had been my companion for many years, 
and which was the very last I ever employed. 
“IT have every reason to believe that this 
instrument opened to him new wonders in the 
vegetable creation, and contributed not a little to 
his very accurate knowledge of the minute cryp- 
togamic vegetables. 
‘If you propose raising a subscription in the 
Botanical and Horticultural Society of Manches- 
2s 
