118 



The Naturalist. 



from the district) taken by Mr. F. Kinder in tlie fields near West- 

 minster-road, only a short distance from the city boundary, and a 

 locality whicli we would probably think as unproductive of good 

 species of insects as any locality could, well be. 



A WORKING MAN BOTANIST. 



[A correspondent sends us the following notice, and although our 

 friend Mr. Whitehead is still living, and we trust will live for many 

 years to continue his useful work, we make no apology for publishing- 

 it.— Ed. Nat.'] 



" Mr. John Whitehead, of Ashton, has been a diligent student of 

 botany for upwards of thirty years, but during the greater portion of 

 that time he has devoted himself more especially to the study of 

 mosses. As a boy his scanty pocket money was expended in the 

 purchase of botanical works, and his spare time after work hours was 

 then, and is now, given to botanical rambles and researches. In the 

 first year that he began the study of mosses, in 1859, he was fortu- 

 nate enough to make two important discoveries, viz., Dicranella 

 ScJireberij var. elata, Schimper, found in Stirrup Wood, Charlesworth, 

 and AtricJiim crispum, Staley Brushes, which was said by the late 

 Professor Schimper, of Strasburg, to be a very interesting addition 

 to the flora of Europe. The late Mr. John Nowell had known tliis 

 moss for some time, but failed to get it determined. The following 

 may also be mentioned : — Heterocladiiim Jietrropternm. found near 

 Bolton (1863), in company with his friend, Mr. E. Scholefield, the 

 first and only locality in England where this moss has been seen 

 with fruit; Hedwigia ciliattty var. striata, Wilson, near Grasmere 

 (1867), the first locality in England, and only found hitherto in two 

 places in the world ; Buxbaumia apliylla, Tintwistle (18G7), an addi- 

 tion to the Manchester flora, and hitherto known only in two 

 localities in England ; Bhyncliodegimn depresswn, Marple (1867), the 

 third station in Britain ; Seligeria tristicha, near Castleton, Derby- 

 shire (1868), the first locality in Britain ; PlagiotJiecium Borrerianiim, 

 Arthog (1876), hitherto called by some of the principal writers on 

 mosses, Hypnum elegam ; but by cultivating this plant, under favour- 

 able conditions, for three months, Mr. Whitehead was able to show 

 that it had been incorrectly named by all authorities except Dr. 

 Spruce in 1846, when the moss was new to science; Seligeria aciiti- 

 folia, Arncliff'e, Yorkshire (1868), new to Britain ; Brynm rufum, near 

 Litton, Yorkshire (1879), new to science ; Carex ornilliopoda (a sedge), 



