J. cash: early botanical work of WM. WILSON. 183 



road and crossing towards Delph, found Riibus chaincEmoriis, but not 

 in many spots. Two large patches seen barren, injured by frequent 

 firing of the heather. Hypnum fiagellare is in a small rapid, very 

 near to " Bill's o' Jacks," lower down the vale. I was told also of 

 Lycopodium alpimim lower down, but we did not see it (William 

 Hobson, seedsman, Hulme, near Manchester, cousin to Edward 

 Hobson, confirmed this account, which was given by Jethro). 

 Edward Hobson has found near Seal Bark, but in another ravine, 

 Diphysciujti foliosum. In some spots Tortula tortuosa may be found 

 in fruit. 



''Arbutus uva-iirsi has become scarce in Greenfield, more plentiful 

 near Kinderscout, and at the head of the valley near to Stalybridge, 

 called the Brushes. In the Brushes (which is a wooded valley near 

 Stalybridge) is found plenty of Weissia nuda [Discelium nudum] on 

 the bare clayey banks by the stream. Higher up on the left (two 

 miles), on the remains of a ruined reservoir hereabout and, according 

 to Jethro, in the goit, among gravel, is abundance of Dicranum 

 sqjiarrosmn, in fruit, with a little Hypnum stra?nineum, in fruit. 

 William Hobson (who was apprenticed to a gardener at Dukinfield) 

 says the latter was found by him in a bog-pit near there, and the 

 Dicrajium is in dripping spots in various places similar to what 

 produced my specimens in Wales. /u?iger?jian7iia ??nnuta was found 

 hereabout. Hobson's specimens are intermixed with Dicranum 

 flexuosu7n or some similar species. Hypnum aduncu?n bears fruit 

 thereabout (var. revolvens). 



' Weissia nuda, according to Jethro, is common about Staly- 

 bridge, and is on the river-side below the village. Phascum serratuju 

 in fields about. Lathrcea in Longdendale. (Crozier finds this at roots 

 of poplar trees near Eccles, river-side, opposite Trafford Hall.) 

 William Hobson tells me Hypnum medium \Leskea polycarpa'\ is found 

 at roots of trees at Shayforth, near Middleton (Shawforth % — three 

 miles north of Rochdale) ; also Tetraphis ovata in plenty in broken 

 places about roots of trees. 



' Phascum crispum and P. axillare were found together on lumps 

 of clay in a new ditch going along the footway from Hulme to 

 Chorlton, by Hobson and his cousin. 



' William Hobson is going to America in August to settle near 

 Philadelphia. He is making out a list of habitats for Scholes, the 

 banker (not Bree, as stated by Crozier). Scholes is a zealous botanist, 

 a correspondent of Greville, and will print the list. Crozier says 

 Edward Hobson was first a Culpepperite— used to go to Cotterill 

 Clough with an old botanist, named Dewhurst, and another young 

 man. A new moss being sent by Hobson from Cotterill Clough to Dr. 



June 1887. 



