ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 181 



be arranged under two species, each with a sub-species, namely, Series i. 

 P. denticulatum, with a sub-species, P. laeturn \ and Scries ii. P. Ruthei, 

 with a new sub-species, P. pseudolaetum. Under each of these the author 

 gives a parallelism of varieties and forms. He then supplies an analytical 

 key showing the distinctive characters of all the principal varieties." In 

 the narrow-celled group are P. Roeseanum, P. denticulatum, some varieties 

 P. laeturn, and some forms. In the wider-celled group are P. sylvaticum, 

 P. succulentum, P. Ruthei, some varieties, P. pseudo-laetum, and some 

 forms. 



Polytrichum.*— E. M. Dunham publishes notes by J. F.Collins and 

 others on a peculiar Polytrichum which agrees with P. Smithise Grunt in 

 its sporophytic characters, but is a depauperate P. ohioense sin its gameto- 

 phytic characters. 



Lophocolea minor not a Species. f— I. Douin returns to the question 

 whether Lophocolea minor is a good species, and shows various reasons for 

 combating K. Midler's view that L. minor is distinct from L. heterophylla 

 in having a dioicous and not a paroicous inflorescence, and in being 

 propaguliferous. The inflorescence is not constant, but varies ; and the 

 presence of gernnue is not a specific character but may occur in any 

 species. The evidence all points to the conclusion that L. minor is but 

 a propaguliferous form of L. heterophylla. 



Metzgeria.J — V. Schiffner publishes notes on certain neotropic 

 species of Metzgeria, and gives valuable characters for distinguishing 

 them from one another, namely, the inflorescence, branching, number of 

 cortical cell-rows on the upper and lower sides of the midrib, structure 

 of central strand of midrib, arrangement and length of hairs on midrib 

 and wings, size and width of alar cells. On the other hand, such 

 characters as fruit-branches, male branches, calyptra, sporogonial valves, 

 spores and elaters, are of interest but of far less importance systematically. 

 As to M. diehotoma (Sw.) Nees, it has been much confused. In Herb. 

 Lindenberg at Vienna, eight out of eleven specimens referred to it 

 belong to other species. He gives descriptions of M. eiliata Raddi, 

 M. Herminieri, 31. bahiensis, and critical notes on M. leptomitra, and on 

 M. leptoneura Spruce. The iatter he considers to be a variety of 

 M. hamata. 



British Bryophytes.§ — 0. A. Cheetham publishes notes upon about a 

 dozen rare mosses gathered by F. Haxby and himself on the less fre- 

 quented parts of the north-west side of Inglebro'. The species concerned 

 are of the type met with on the Lake I )istrict mountains. One is a new 

 record for England, one for Yorkshire, and others for West Yorkshire. 



W. Ingham || gives notes on some mosses and hepatics observed at 

 (Jastleton, N. Yorks., during the dry weather of last Whitsuntide. Some 

 are characteristic of the Swiddens and some of the Slacks. 



* Bryologist, xiv. (1911) pp. 90-1. 



t Rev. Bryolog., xxxviii. (1911) pp. 105-7. 



X Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr., lxi. (1911) pp. 183-7, 261-4. 



§ Naturalist, No. 653 (1911) pp. 231-2. 



II Naturalist, No. 654 (1911) p. 248. 



Dec. 20th, 1911 3 B 



