ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 485 



Muscineae of Servia.* — N. Kosanin publishes an enumeration of 

 twelve mosses and thirty-two hepatics from the Golia Mountains of 

 south-west Servia, mostly collected in the pinewood zone, and partly 

 representing additions to the moss-flora of Servia. 



Sicilian Bryophyta.t — Gr. Zodda writes about the occurrence of 

 Ricda glaum L. in Sicily and its affinity with R. eommutata Jack. 

 R. glauca var. major was abundant in parts of the Messina Botanic 

 Garden in 1905 and less frequent in 190li. Since the latter date it has 

 not appeared. Zodda gives reasons for the views that R. eommutata is 

 a parallel species to R. glauca, having a xerophilous adaptation and a 

 southern distribution ; that the presence of R. glauca in Sicily is to be 

 regarded as doubtful ; that the recent presence of R. glauca var. major 

 Lindb. in Sicily must be regarded as accidental. 



He also publishes X a third contribution on the bryophytes of Sicily 

 gathered in various districts by L. Nicotra and others. He gives a list 

 with localities of 83 species of mosses and 25 hepatics ; 10 mosses and 

 2 hepatics are new records for Sicily. 



Mosses of MadeiraJ — A. Luisier contributes a second note on the 

 mosses of Madeira collected by C. de Menezes, which contain three 

 varieties new to science, ten species new to Madeira, and six species 

 and three genera new to the Atlantic islands. 



& v 



North American Mosses. — T. C. Frye || describes a peculiarity in a 

 specimen of 'Neckera Menziesii, a moss very common on trees in Wash- 

 ington territory, • especially on Acer maerophyUum. Its branches were 

 all densely flagelliferous and ramified at the ends, the leaves on the 

 flagella being veinless and reduced to one-tenth the normal size. The 

 flagella were brittle, and might serve as a means of vegetative propaga- 

 tion, but the reason for their formation is obscure. 



A. L. Andrews^" cites an explanation by Nawaschin of the spore 

 dispersal of Sphagnum. Experiment showed him that the drying of the 

 mature capsule compresses the air contained in it and leads to an explo- 

 sive discharge of the spores. 



A. J. Grout** gives a list of twenty-one hepatics collected in North 

 Carolina, and describes the moss-flora on a stunted yellow birch— eleven 

 mosses and four hepatics. 



A. J. Hill ft writes of the seasonal changes of the moss-flora in his 

 district. In 11)04, for instance, large spaces were covered with a luxu- 

 riant growth of Milium iusigne. Next year it was entirely replaced by 

 smaller species of Milium. In one year a certain lawn was covered 

 with a minute sterile growth of Milium •, and in the following year it 

 was as densely covered with ffglocomium triquetrum. What is the reason 

 for these changes ? 



Mexican Mosses. Jt. — J. Cardot publishes some preliminary diagnoses 

 of Mexican mosses collected by C. G. Pringle, C. Purpus, W. Trelease. 



* Hedwigia, xlviii. (1909) pp. 207-9. 



t Malpighia, xxii. (1908) pp. 499-505. % Tom. cit., pp. 50G-21. 



§ Bull. Soc. Port. Sci. Nat., ii. (1908) pp. 52-4. . 



II Bryologist, xii. (1909) pp. 52-3. ^ Tom. cit., p. 35. 



** Tom. cit., p. 54. ft Tom. cit., pp. 54-G. 



XX Kev. Bryolog., xxxvi. (1909) pp. 67-77. 



