HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Div. 2. — Nematodoutes. 



Fam. 3. — Buxbaumiaceae. 

 Fam. 4. — Poljtricliacese. 

 Div. 3. — Artbrodontes. 

 Subdiv. 1. — 'Acrocarpici. 

 *Disticbophylla. 

 Fam. 5. Scbistostegaceai. \ Fam. 6. Fissideutacete. 

 **Polysticbopbjlla. 



Fam. 7. DicranacefE. 

 J, 8. Leucobryacea). 

 5, 9. TricbostomacefE. 

 „ 10. Grimmiacese. 

 3, 11. Orthotricbacese. 



Subdiv. 2.- 



Fam. 17. Hookeriacese. 

 J, 18. Fontinalacese. 

 J, 19. Neckeraceae. 



Fam. 12. Splacbnaceaj. 

 „ 13. FunariaccEB. 

 „ 14. BryacCcC. 

 „ 15. Mniacese. 

 „ 16. Bartramiacese. 



Pleurocarpici. 



Fam. 20. Leskeacese. 

 „ 21. Hypnacese. 



Sub-Class HEPATICIN^. 

 Liver Mosses. 



Fani.l. Juugermanniacese. 

 ,, 2. MarchautiaceEe. 



Fam. 3. Antbocerotaceaj. 

 ,, 4. Bicciacese. 



Among species wbicb may be generally met iJvitb 

 by beginners on the look-out for mosses, we may 

 enumerate tbe following : — 



On JFalls. — Tortula muralis and revoluta, Bryum 

 capillare and csespiticium, Grimmia pulvinata, 

 Weisia cirrbata. 



Ill Clay Fields. — Pbascum acaulon, Potiia trun- 

 catula and Starkeana. 



On IFaste Ground and Heaths. — Cei'atodou pur- 

 pureus, Funaria bygrometrica, Campylopus turfa- 

 ceus, Bryum argentcum, nutans, and palleus, 

 Pleuridium subulatum, Dicranella beteromalla 

 and varia, Pbyscomitrium pyriforme, Pogouatum 

 aloides, Polytricbum commune, piliferum, and juni- 

 perium, Tortula unguiculata and fallax, Bartramia 

 pomiformis, Jungermannia bicuspidata, Lepidozia 

 reptaus, Ptilidium ciliare, Frullania tamarisci. 



Shady Banks and Woods. — Catbarinea undulata, 

 Weisia viridula, Tortula subulata, Muium bornum, 

 Dicranum scoparium, Hypnum rutabulum, 'veluti- 

 num, cupressiforme, prrelongum, purum, and mol- 

 luscum, Plagiotbecium denticulatum, Pleurozium 

 splendeus and Scbreberi, Hylocomium squarrosum 

 and triquetrum, Tbuyidiumtamariscinum, Fissidens 

 bryoides, Plagiocbila asplenioides, Jungermannia 

 albicans, Lopbocolea bideutata. 



In Bogs. — Spbagnum cymbifolium and acutifo- 

 lium, Gymnocybe palustris, Hypnum cuspidatum, 

 stellatum, aduncum, and fluitans,' Jungermannia 

 inflata. 



Roclis and hj Streams. — Grimmia apocarpa, Tri- 



dontium pellucidum, Hypnum serpens, filicinum, 



commutatum, and palustre, Scapania nemorosa, 



Metzgeria furcata, Marchautia polymorpba, Pellia 



epipbylla, Fegatella conica. 



On Trees. — Ulota crispa, Ortliotricbum affine and 

 diapbanum, Crypbsea hetercmalla, Homalia tricbo- 

 manoides, Hypnum sericeuro Isotliecium myurum, 



Frullania dilatata, Radula complanata, Madotbeca, 

 platypbylla. 



Small as tbis list is, it wUl be found to yiebl 

 ample store for investigation, and if true love for 

 the study be thereby excited, the circle of forms 

 "will be found to widen with every new locality 

 visited. If we have contributed in any way to facili- 

 tate tbe pursuit, then is our object fulfilled, and we 

 may conclude with tbe words of Horace, — 



Vive, vale ! si quid novisti rectius istis, 

 Candidas irapeiti, si non, his utere mecum. 



CANINE GYRA.TIONS. 



"IVrO one who has ever kept a dog or who has had 

 -^^ opportunities of observing the habits of that 

 most interesting auimal, can have failed to remark 

 tbe extraordinary and apparently unnecessary way 

 in which a dog scrapes himself round and round in 

 circles preparatory to settling down to rest ; and it 

 is undeniable that this habit is not confined to any 

 particular class of dogs, but is observable in a 

 greater or less degree throughout tbe entire canine 

 race. Now, as tbis mode of procedure is certainly 

 not produced, like some other fashions, by the re- 

 quirements of modern civilization, but dates back 

 from the most rem.ote antiquity, several theories 

 have been set up to account for it. Tbe most 

 notable of tbese is the Darwinian theory, which is 

 briefly as follows. In tbe remote ages of tbe world 

 tbe surface of tbe earth was for tbe most part 

 covered with very long grass, in which the wild 

 dogs used to wander about. When, therefore, they 

 requbed to lie down, they were obliged to make 

 several turnings in order to beat down the grass, 

 and prevent suffocation, and dogs of the present 

 day imitate tbeir ancestors, although they have no 

 longer any cause for doing so. It is diificult to see 

 what tbe dogs could have procured as food, unless 

 indeed, in those remote ages, they were graminivor- 

 ous animals, or viractised the horrid rites of canni- 

 balism ; and, judging froni my own experience of 

 walking iu long grass, I should think tbat, once 

 having attained a recumbent position, they would 

 be slow to rise to the perpendicular again. But 

 there are two facts which greatly invalidate this 

 theory. In tbe first place, the prairies at tbe pre- 

 sent day are occupied by the Wisb-ton-wish, or 

 Prairie-dog {Spermophilus Ltidovicianus), to the en- 

 tire exclusion of any species of our domestic dog. 

 This little animal, which may perhaps be tbe proge- 

 nitor of tbe canine genus, is a rodent, and burrows 

 a subterranean babitation after the manner of the 

 Mole, raising a mound, on which it sits in the day- 

 time. Tlius it certainly would not get into tbe 

 habit of lying iu tbe long grass. Moreover, this 

 way of turning round is not peculiar to dogs, but is 

 also shared by the less fortunate feline tribe. Dog- 



