OBITUARY NOTICE. 279 
able to fini time for active work in other directions. He was 
keenly interested in prehistoric man, and investigated all 
the gravel pits in the district for evidence of their existence. 
In this way he acquired an interesting collection of neolithic 
and paleolithic implements, which is now in the Lynn Museum. 
A paper on Neolithic Man in West Norfolk, dealing more 
especially with his researches on Massingham Heath, appeared 
in the “ Transactions ” of this Society, Vol. V., pp. 250-264. 
But there was little in West Norfolk which had not attracted 
his attention ; and whether his visitor was interested in 
botany, zoology, archaeology, or any other branch of know- 
ledge, he was certain to find in Dr. Plowright a willing, able, 
and suggestive guide. 
When in later years he was advised to relinquish constant 
microscopical investigation, he soon found other outlets for 
his ability and energy. He took up the study of woad, and 
showed that, contrary to the statements of technical chemists, 
it was possible to dye with woad alone by simple methods. 
This led him to an investigation of the tinctorial properties 
of other British plants, which involved an elaborate series of 
experiments, carried out under practical conditions, with the 
assistance of Mr. C. A. Barrett, of Gaywood. As a result, 
the old wives’ tales, which passed for information on that 
subject, have now been replaced by exact knowledge, from 
a botanical standpoint, in the following series of papers : — 
“ Woad as a blue dye, with an account of its bibliograph}'.” 
“ On the Tinctorial properties of our British dye-plants,” 
“ Sur la matiere colorante bleue de 1 ’ Isatis tinctoria et 
sur la teinture a la guede.” 
“ On Woad as a prehistoric pigment.” 
“ British Dye-plants.” 
“ On the Archaeology of Woad.” 
With the Folklore of his native district, Dr. Plowright was 
thoroughly acquainted, and it is to be regretted that he was 
not spared to carry out his evident intention of recording 
his knowledge on that subject. A paper on “ Some Survivals 
of Mediaeval Medicine in East Anglia ” represents only a small 
part of the information he possessed. Of the archaeology of 
