WEST HIGHLAND MOSSES AND PROBLEMS THEY SUGGEST 43 



south-west of Arisaig in a station of very restricted area, 

 close to the sea, its usual habitat. This is the second station 

 for the moss on the mainland of Scotland. The first was 

 discovered some years ago by Dr. Macvicar at a station 

 similarly situated to the present one, and only several miles 

 to the east of it. These are the only known stations 

 diverging a little from the main line of growth. There is 

 possibly another near Loch Coruisk in Skye, although the 

 rock formation there would seem to favour this slighter lateral 

 extension. As is now well known, its area is confined to 

 the ridge in the sea extending from the Faroe Islands down 

 to St. Helena. I have the moss from the Butt of Lewis 

 down the whole chain of islands of the Outer Hebrides to 

 Barra, where, in places, it grows very luxuriantly. I have it 

 also from the Azores, and it has been reported from the 

 Canaries and St. Helena, but from nowhere else in the 

 world. Now the plant has never been found in fruit, and 

 the only other means of spread, apart from the natural 

 extension of the tufts, is through buds, which are only very 

 occasionally seen, extruding a little beyond the general 

 surface of the compact masses ; but these, from their size, 

 can only be carried short distances by winds, and even then 

 it is more than doubtful whether they can serve for purposes 

 of propagation, inasmuch as no radicles have ever been seen 

 on them. Radicles are necessary for the development of 

 buds, and such are abundantly supplied to the detached buds 

 in the species of the genus Campylopus, which never fruit 

 a genus well represented in these same islands. 



In my opinion all this argues strongly in favour of a 

 continued land-surface, such as has been indicated as the 

 continent of Atlantis. 



The question of the length of time necessary for so great 

 extensions in range as are implied in such slow growths and 

 spread opens up a wide field for speculation a speculation 

 of rather an alluring nature in these days of sweeping 

 generalisations. 



The next moss in importance is Hedwigidiwn imberbe 

 (Sm.), inasmuch as the present station is the second for 

 Scotland, and not more than eight such are known through- 

 out the world. This moss was discovered within restricted 



