NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 163 



Tlie first of these, B. rividare, existed in greatest abundance, 

 and its tissue seemed better adapted for resisting decay than any 

 of the others. Being strictly an aquatic species, its presence here 

 is easily accounted for. Mnium serrahim is a more fragile species, 

 and sub-alpine in its character, like Neckera ctispa. N. immila, and 

 N. complanuta, luxuriate in moist places by the side of streams.''' 



N. pwnila is not a common species, although I found it to be 

 pretty abundant in the leaf bed. Hijpnum tamarisdnum is found 

 abundantly in shady places at the roots of trees, and is corre- 

 spondingly frequent here. CUmacium dendroides and Philonotes 

 fontanel are also moisture-loving species; indeed, it is to be 

 remarked of all the mosses yet found, that they are such as grow 

 at the present day by the banks of Clyde, and such as would be 

 torn from their bed by every winter flood. 



There are other aquatic species, the non-appearance of which is 

 not remarkable, such as the Sphagna, which prefer inland boggy 

 situations; but such mosses as hothecium alopecurum, Hijpnum 

 pal'ustre, etc., are conspicuously absent; as are also the Hepaiicce and 

 Ferns. 



In order to ascertain the relative proportions of leaves and sand 

 in this three-inch bed, I operated on a known quantity, and found 

 it to consist of:— ,^^,,^,. 



Organic matter, - - 32 "0 



Sand, - - - - 49-5 



Water, - - - 18-5 



100-0 

 I have hitherto spoken only of the Windmillcroft beds, but the 

 same botanical relics are found at numerous other localities around 

 Glasgow. In digging for the foundation of the railway arch at 

 Salisbury Street, a bed of sand was laid bare, seemingly the equi- 

 valent of the root-bed in Windmillcroft. There was very little 

 clay in its composition, and it was darker in colour than that at 

 Windmillcroft, but the same equisetal roots were found. It con- 

 tained in addition, however, numerous pieces of drift-wood, and I 

 got two mosses after some searching, viz., CUmacium dendroides and 

 Neckera complanata. 



Again, in digging graves at the Southern Necropolis, they came 

 on beds of nuts, acorns, and twigs, at certain places, clearly water 



* I am indebted to Mr A. M'Kinlay for revision of these names. 



