Joseph Ross (1873-1962)
Ross joined the LNHS (when it was the North London Natural History Society) as a life member in 1910 and became joint secretary in 1913, a post he held till 1919. He took a keen and enthusiastic interest in Society activities. He was Chairman of the Plant Galls Section from 1928-1946 and Honorary Vice-President from 1928-1962. His natural history interests were wide. His published papers show a chief interest in Myxomycetes and Plant Galls but he knew about flowering plants, mosses, liverworts, ornithology and archaeology.
With other members of the Plant Gall Section, he established the true alternate generation of two species of gall causers. Some of his studies were based on a great deal of breeding work, extending over many years. After his retirement in the 1930’s he took over the curatorship of the Epping Forest Museum. His extensive collections of gall flies, bryophytes and Mycetozoa were donated to the museum in 1962 but may now be in the London Natural History Museum.
J. Ross contributed twelve specimens to the LNHS gall collection.
For further information see his obituary in the London Naturalist