XX 



Obituary Notices of Fellows deceased. 



After a visit to Geneva, to study the famous colleetious there, he made a 

 scientific journey to South Portugal, where he specially interested himself 

 in the distribution of mosses. He then returned to work with de Bary, 

 following him on his removal to Halle, where Solms became Frivatdocent 

 in 1868. 



As regards Solms' part in the war of 1870, Dr. Lotsy, an old pupil of his, 

 writes: "As far as I am aware . . ., he served as a Johanniter, viz., as one 

 whose sole duty is taking care of the wounded." 



In 1872 Solms became Professor Extraordinarius at the new German 

 University of Strasburg. He remained there, as a colleague of de Bary's, 

 till 1879, when he was appointed full Professor at Gottingen, succeeding 

 Griesebach. In 1883 he visited the Tropics, working, at Treub's invitation, 

 in the new laboratory at Buitenzorg. 



At the close of 1887 Solms was invited to occupy the Chair of Botany at 

 BerHn, as successor to Eichler. After much hesitation he accepted the call, 

 but the death of de Bary in January, 1888, caused him to reconsider his 

 decision ; he preferred in the end to succeed his old fi-iend and teacher, and 

 became Professor and Director of the Botanic Garden at Strasburg. He 

 continued to hold this post for 20 years, and, after his retirement, remained 

 at Strasburg till his death. He passed away peacefully on November 24, 

 1915, his mental powers, in spite of much bodily weakness, retaining their 

 activity almost to the last. 



Solms-Laubach's original woi'k as a botanist covers a remarkably wide 

 area. He began as a collector of plants in the field, and retained his love for 

 botanical excursions all through life. Prof. Jost quotes an amusing passage 

 from a letter from Alexander Braun to de Bary, introducing Solms : " Wenn 

 Du ihm das verdammte Exkursionenmachen abgewohneu kannst, wird 

 vielleicht etwas ganz brauchbares aus ihm." As a matter of fact, the 

 excursion habit made him a sound systematist, gave him his keen interest 

 in the geography of plants, and laid the foundation of his greatness as an 

 investigator. 



One side of his work throughout life was purely systematic ; he 

 monographed a number of families for de Candolle, Engler, and other 

 editors. Among these families several (Eaftlesiacece, Hydnoracefe, Lennoaceae) 

 are parasitic Phanerogams, a biological group of extraordinary interest, on 

 which Solms was probably the leading authority. His earliest (1863), and 

 almost his latest work (1914), was on parasitic plants, and to his elaborate 

 anatomical and morphological researches a great part of the existing 

 knowledge of these strangely modified forms is due. 



Other systematic publications stood in close relation with Solms' work on 

 the history of cultivated plants, another favourite subject of his. The Figs, 

 the Papaw, Wheat, Tulips, and Strawberries were all investigated by him ; 

 the conuection of cultivation with History and Philology, studies in which he 

 never lost his interest, was a special attraction to him. His attention was 

 not much directed to the Genetics of cultivated plants, wlrich would now 



