184 T. CASH: EARLY BOTANICAL vrORK OF \VM. WILSON. 



Hooker produced a correspondence, and Dr. Hooker calling soon 

 after in Manchester presented Hobson with a cop)- of his work on 

 the Jungermanni^e and a good simple microscope. Mr. Sergeant 

 was the principal patron of Hobson. (W, Hobson sa5's Edwin 

 Sergeant has the only fruited specimen of Jiingerniaimia tonientella 

 from Cotterill Clough, except one which Edward Hobson had in his 

 own specimen book, and which has been cut out, with other good 

 things, by some who have borrowed the book.) 



' Edward Hobson was well acquainted with Caley. He (Hobson) 

 was unwearied in his pedestrian trips, disregarded refreshment, would 

 stay till dark, sometimes exhausting the patience of his companions. 

 Jethro said he was excessively abstemious, and not to be deterred by 

 rain or tempest. Orthotrichum rivulare said to grow near Staly- 

 bridge : also Fontinalis squamosa^ in fruit. Spladinum ninioides we 

 saw sparingly at Seal Bark. 



'Jethro was born in Staly Brushes. William Hobson first found 

 Dicranum squarrosu?n there.' 



In the month of May 183 1, Mr. Wilson had a short tour in 

 Derbyshire, and, by desire of Mr. J. E. Bowman, visited Youlgreave 

 for the purpose of gathering Eticalypta streptoca7'pa in fruit. It will 

 do no harm to mention, at this distance of time, that the locality 

 where grew the fertile plant was in Lathkil Dale, upon the site of an 

 old limekiln. A few capsules were also found on an old wall close 

 to Conksbur}^ Bridge. Anyone who may desire now to find the 

 fertile plant in that the earhest recorded Derbyshire habitat, will 

 search in vain, for the moss does not bear fruit there, and at the 

 date of my last visit, June 1879, there was very little even of the 

 barren plant. Only a few capsules, at most, were ever found, and 

 these, as will appear from the correspondence I am about to read, 

 were watched over and nursed with as much solicitude as if they had 

 been infants struggling into life. 



In the course of the journey here referred to, Mr. Wilson 

 gathered at Rowter rocks Cynodo?itiu??i bruntoni and Gi-inujiia 

 tricophylla^ and in the cavern there he observed the ' shining moss ' 

 which had been an object of so much interest to Mr. Bowman, and 

 the nature of which, and its relation to Schistostega osmimdacea^ Mr. 

 Wilson, by his accurate observations, was enabled sometime after- 

 wards to determine. On his return homeward he botanised near 

 Buxton, and gathered, on the 13th May, Seligeria pusilla, with which 

 y/ere mixed some plants of Brachyodus triclwdes ; also Bartrajfiia 

 gracilis, very fine : Ju7iger?nannia pubescens, J. hyali?2a, c. ir.;/. pumila^ 

 c. fr.; and Tortula toriuosa with setae. Next day he gathered Didy- 

 modon flexifolius, very probably in Greville's old station, which was 



Naturalist, 



