00 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



moss Plagiothecium sylvaticum that grows near Lisieux. The young 

 archegonia tend to become converted into antheridia of peculiar shape, 

 but whether they are of functional value is not known. The reason 

 for the transformation has not yet been discovered. 



Peristome.* — A. J. Grout publishes the fourth part of his notes on 

 the peristome of mosses, and discusses the mechanism by which the 

 spores of Polytrichum and Buxbaumia are shaken or puffed out of the 

 capsule in nature. In the succeeding article he brings to a conclusion 

 his remarks upon the nomenclature of mosses, and the confusion and 

 anomalies resulting from the well meant efforts of incompetent re- 

 formers. 



Suppression of Redundant Moss-Species.f — A. Geheeb publishes 

 a series of notes upon specific names which have acquired an unjustifi- 

 able position in bryological literature. By reducing them to mere 

 synonyms and putting them in their proper place he clears up many 

 doubtful points. He also summarises similar work done by E. S. Salmon, 



Genus Thamnium.J — N. C. Kindberg finishes his revision of the 

 genus Thamnium, and treats of 76 species which he redescribes, adding 

 the synonyms and geographical distribution of each species. The author 

 maintains 96 species in all, — a considerable reduction of the pre-existing 

 total. In the concluding pages he distinguishes the individual variations 

 of two of the species examined, one of which is T. alopecurum, a common 

 British moss ; he then summarises the geographical distribution of the 

 species, and adds notes on the species which he excludes and those 

 which he has not been able to obtain for examination. The value of 

 the paper is much increased by the index supplied. 



Notes on Osculatia and Schwetschkea.§ — E. S. Salmon continues 

 his series of bryological notes and shows that the rare and puzzling 

 moss-genus Osculatia De Not., which had been misplaced in Meeseaceae, 

 is identical with another moss from the Andes, Brijum globoswn Mitt. 

 He redescribes and figures the plant. He passes on to the genus 

 Schwetschlcea, and claims that in at least some of the species the inner 

 peristome has a basal membrane. 



British Moss Flora. — J. A. Wheldon || and A. Wilson publish an 

 additional list of West Lancashire mosses and hepatics, adding upwards 

 of 40 species and varieties to their previous records for the district, 

 which turns out to be unusually rich in Sphagna. 



H. N. Dixon 1 describes four very perplexing varieties of British 

 mosses from various mountain localities in our islands. In each case 

 they differ remarkably from the typical form of the species to which 

 they are referred. 



J. H. Davies** records the first discovery of Weisia rostellata Lindb. 

 in Ireland. It was found near Lisburn, Co. Antrim, on a bank of 

 earth dug out of a ditch. This little moss occurs in England, but 

 is rare. 



* Bryologist, v. (1902) pp. 94-7. 



+ Beih. z. Bot. Centralbl., xiii. (1902) pp. 105-11. 



: Hedwigia. xli. (1902) pp. 225-68. 



§ Journ. Bot., xl. pp. 369-74 (1 pi.). H Tom. pit., pp. 412- 6. 



i Tom. cit., pp. 374-80. ** Irish Naturalist, xi. (1902) p. 2b9. 



