128 The Scottish JVatnrattst. 



with authentic specimens found near Wooler by Messrs Hardy 

 and Boyd, and bearing the imprimatur of Wilson. The most 

 interesting and the rarest of all the European Cafupylopi is C. 

 brevifoliiis — a species which may be regarded as having its exist- 

 ence in Britain satisfactorily established during the past year. It 

 had been previously recorded and described as British, and 

 Mackinlay's specimens from Arrochar, &c., were quoted in proof. 

 On careful examination of Mackinlay's specimens, I find them to 

 belong to a stunted state of Campylopus Schwarzii, a species in 

 which the auricles are sometimes so undeveloped that they may 

 be regarded as obsolete. About three years ago I gathered the 

 genuine plant near Fern, but there were only a few minute stems 

 of it, and though I mentioned the discovery to some of our Scot- 

 tish botanists, I had some doubts about it. In October last 

 year I rediscovered the plant, still in very small quantity, and 

 any hesitation I had about the species was removed by Mr 

 Boswell's distinct opinion that it was genuine C. brevifolins. Its 

 place of growth here, and in the few localities where it has been 

 met with on the Continent, is greatly different from that of all 

 the European Campylopi. It is invariably found on the gravel or 

 sand of old roads and waysides, and keeps company with Archi- 

 diiim, Pleuridium alterjiifolhun, RacoDiitriiim can€sce?is, &:c., 

 while they invariably select a soil in which there is a consider- 

 able preponderance of peat. I believe, though the plants require 

 to be examined, that I have recently found a new locality for 

 this minute rarity in the neighbourhood of Perth. It may be 

 known at sight from C. fragilis^ its nearest ally, of which I sus- 

 pect it may be little more than a depauperated form, by its 

 looser, subgregarious mode of growth, much smaller size, and 

 stems destitute of tomentum except at the very base. The 

 hyaline tips of the leaves are quite inconspicuous, and are com- 

 posed of very few cells. 



On turning to the closely allied genus Dicranum, I find one or 

 two discoveries of importance. In the spring of 1876 Professor 

 Barker gatliered Cynodontium {Die.) virens var. serratum in the 

 north of England. It does not appear to have been previously 

 observed on the other side of the Tweed ; but now when atten- 

 tion has been directed to it, we may expect to hear more of it 

 from the liigher mountains of Westmoreland and north-west 

 Yorkshire. A short time ago, in examining a very extensive and 

 remarkably varied collection of British Dicrana^ gathered by 

 Professor Barker, I found that that gentleman, in company with 



