ON SOME CRITICAL SPECIES OF SCOTTISH MOSSES 107 



at margin, upper central cells oblong, undulated, almost sinuose on 

 margin 0.016 to 0.024 by 0.006 to o.ooS mm., with numerous 

 connecting-tubes, corresponding marginal cells smaller and shortly 

 oblong, this relationship of the cells continuing nearly to the apex ; 

 capsule on a long, pale red seta, nearly cylindrical, slightly curved, 

 irregularly grooved, not strumose or annular at neck so far as 

 perceptible. 



This moss is unlike any form of C. polycarpum I have seen, and 

 has quite a different habit, much more robust, stems stronger, stiffer, 

 etc. I cannot reconcile myself to identifying it with any other 

 species of the genus, not even with C. gradlescens. In several 

 instances large propagula were seen at the apices of the leaves, 

 roundly oblong, brownish, murali-divided internally, o.i to 0.14 by 

 0.02 to 0.027 mm. 



What part the slender connecting-tubes mentioned above play 

 in the economy of the plant is beyond me at present, but that they 

 have a distinct bearing on the vegetative processes I have little or no 

 doubt, otherwise why should they be constantly present in certain 

 mosses, such as Hypnum titrgesceiis, etc., and not in others rather 

 closely related to them ? At anyrate, to ignore the presence of these 

 tubes, as is often done in the matter of diagnosis, is scarcely scientific, 

 especially when the life-history of these small vegetable organisms 

 is likely, in the near future, to assume considerable importance. 



Since reporting, in the number of the "Annals" for April, 1905, 

 the discovery, on Craig Mohr, Arisaig, of barren specimens of what 

 I then considered Dicranella curvata (Hdw.), I have been making 

 further investigations into the so-called organs of generation, viz., 

 archegonia and antheridia. These organs are contained in separate, 

 large, firm buds larger in proportion to the size of the plant than 

 any I have seen situated, in great abundance, at the apices of stems 

 and branches. What particularly arrested my attention in these 

 buds is the presence, in both kinds of organs, of large, red, long, 

 cylindrical, septate bodies, rounded at the upper end, abruptly 

 narrowing below into the slender point of attachment (breadth, 0.02 

 to 0.028 mm.), while the ordinary pale or greenish, septate paraphyses, 

 also present, are much shorter and only 0.014 mm. in breadth. 

 Taking into account their greater length, these red bodies have 

 nearly eight times the capacity of the ordinary paraphyses, and are 

 much more numerous. I have not detected these red bodies in the 

 specimen of D. curvata given to me by the late Mr. W. Wilson, 

 author of " Bry. Brit." Besides the size, another peculiarity of the 

 buds themselves is their tendency to assume, at an early stage, a 

 deep red colour, at first only apparent below, but ultimately extend- 

 ing nearly to their summits. It is somewhat extraordinary that 

 this moss should remain barren notwithstanding the close proximity 

 of archegonia and antheridia. 



