Crossland : The Study of Fungi in Yorkshire. 95 



Dr. Weiss has met with still further evidence in a section 

 of a Halifax coal-measure fossil plant in the Cash collection at 

 Manchester University. — (' New Phytologist,' March, 1904). 



The late H. T. Soppitt joined the Bradford Society in 1876. 

 He, along with Messrs. West, J. W. Carter, and others, cata- 

 logued the plants of that district, including cryptogams. One of 

 Soppitt 's first records was Melampsora vitellina = Lecythea 

 calyceta, parasitic on willow leaves at Saltaire. In 1877 he 

 decided to try his hand at investigating some of these plant 

 parasites, so far as his spare time would allow. He had good 

 eyesight, and a most retentive memor3\ He looked forward 

 to the first Y.X.U. Fungus Foray, 1881, when three of the few 

 British experts were to be present. The fohowing year he re- 

 corded between forty and fifty species of fungi, found at the 

 Haigh excursion in September, and ninety at the Thirsk 

 meeting the month after. The pages of ' The Naturalist ' 

 testify to his continued diligence on numerous subsequent 

 occasions. 



His researches in the Uredines unravelled the life histories 

 of several species ' which had previously been enshrouded in 

 mystery, or VvTongly interpreted.' Dr. Plowright remarks : — 

 ' Prior to Soppitt 's work, the Mcidium and Puccinia on Adoxa 

 Moschatcllina were regarded as being of the same species, but 

 he demonstrated that . . . they had no relationship,' He 

 next cleared up the life-history of Mcidium leucospermum, 

 which occurs on Anemone nemorosa, showing it, by careful 

 experimental cultures, to be an Endophyllum, and had no con- 

 nection with Puccinia fusca which occurs on the same plant. — 

 (Jour. Bot., Sep., 1893). Dr. Plowright further says ' He 

 attacked that complicated problem, the life-history of the 

 Puccinia on Phalaris arundinacea, proving that the Mcidium 

 on Convallaria majalis belonged to one of them, which he named 

 P. digraphidis, thereby opening a discussion amongst Contin- 

 ental botanists as to the relative value of these specific forms.' 

 He was the first to demonstrate the connection of an Mcidium 

 on earth-nut — Conopodium denudatum with a Puccinia on 

 sweetdock — Polygonum Bistorta. In 1892, on a visit to Hard- 

 castle with myself, and Needham and Pickles of Hebden 

 Bridge. Needham said they had noticed a yellow fungus on 

 earth-nut, and where this occurred, the surrounding sweetdock 

 plants were soon after affected with a brown one. This infor- 

 mation led Soppitt to undertake a series of experiments with 



1908 March i. 



