88 Dr. Taylor on two yiew species of British Jungermannise. 



compose, assimilate and remove from the fair face of Natm'e, and 

 hence they haA'e earned the not inappropriate, though inelegant, 

 appellation of " Nature^s scavengers." This however is taking 

 but a very limited view of the powers and operation of fungi, since 

 the present inquiry proves that they have the ability to invade 

 and destroy the living vegetable fabric, and perhaps animal too ; 

 and this not merely while the vegetable is in a living state, but 

 while the functions of its life are in full and healthy operation. 

 Thus, in the operation of the fungi, as in most things, there is, as 

 regards man^s welfare, a mixture of good and evil, of benefit and 

 disservice ; the good result accruing to man, however, far out- 

 balancing the evil. 



Inquiries such as the present are peculiarly interesting, not 

 merely from their value in a scientific point of view, but from 

 the hope which they carry with them, amounting in this case 

 almost to a conviction, that ultimately they will be attended with 

 practical results. I hope that at no distant day a remedy will be 

 found for some of the evils occasionally resulting to the vegetable 

 world through the instrumentality of fungi. 



XI. — On two new species of British Jungermannise. By Thomas 

 Taylor, M.D., Dunkerron, Kenmare*. 



JuNGERMANNiA RiPARiA, MSS. T. T. Caulc procumbente, subra- 

 moso ; foliis subapproximatis, amplexicaulibus, oblongo-orbicu- 

 latis, concavis, integerrimis : fructu terminali ; cajycibus obovatis, 

 apice plicatis. 

 Jung, pumila, Lind. Syn. Hep. p. 69. t. 2. (nee Witheringii) . 

 Ad rivulorum umbrosorum ripas saxosas Hibernise, Britannise atque 

 Germaniae. 



Caules procumbentes ramosi, subimplexi atque subcespitosi, 1 — 2 

 unciales, luride virides. Folia subimbricata, basi amplexicaulia, con- 

 cava subrotunda aut parum elorgata, patula, integerrima, cellulis ma- 

 joribus. Perich(Etialia majora, calycis dimidium inferius tegentia. 

 Calyces obovati sen oblongi, juniores etiam obtusi, apice plicati, 

 plicis ssepius octo. Pedicellus semiuncialis. Capsula oblonga, qua- 

 drivalvis. Perigonia in rami medio sita vidi, ex foliis paucis, adpressis, 

 basi ventricosis, antheram solitariam tenentibus conflata. 



It is probable that the present species is extremely common, 

 and that it has long been confounded by others, as well as cer- 

 tainly by myself, with Jung, pumila, With. The specimen col- 

 lected by me in the river Dayle in 1813, and quoted under /.jt>w- 

 mila in ' The British Jungermannise,^ belongs to the present. It 

 has been gathered long ago and carefully laid aside for further 

 examination by Dr. Greville : his specimens are from Breadalbane. 

 Again, Mr. William Wilson found the plant near Bangor Ferry in 

 * Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



