46 THE REV. MB. HI&GINS ON THE CULTIVAtlOK OF MOSSES. 



has been disturbed a good deal, S and ? specimens having been 

 planted together to try if fruit would be produced ; but as yet there 

 is no appearance of fertility. B. Marratii, JB. calophyllwn, and 

 B. Warneum are not healthy. Mnium : all that have been tried 

 do well. 



Meesieje. — Meesia uliginosa puts forth setae of prodigious 

 length; a rather suspicious circumstance in respect of its congener 

 M. longiseta. 



PuNAEiE^. — JPhyscomitrium pyriforme. The fruit in its season 

 is so dense that not a leaf can be seen. 



BAETEAMiEiE. — JBartro/niia. All are included except B. rigida. 

 The 'best cmd most satisfactory mosses for growing in cultivation. 

 Nothing of the kind can exceed them in beauty of colour, growth, 

 and fruit. Catoscopium nigritvm is gone. 



Splachne^. — H. mnpullaceum and S. sphcericum have been only 

 lately received ; but Tetraplodon mnioides, on the bones of a rab- 

 bit, has grown and fruited for two seasons most vigorously. 



PissiDENTEiE are gems for cultivation. F. adiantoides is a por- 

 tion of a specimen which has been in cultivation for twenty years. 

 Antitrichia curtipendula is not healthy. 



IsoTHECTEa;. — The Pterogonia are weakly. The IsotTiecia 

 flourish. Climacium dendroides has been very fine, but now droops. 

 Leshea sericea and L. polycarpa are very beautiful. L. latehricola 

 anS-pulvinata are fast disappearing. 



Htpnejg. — Of Hypnum sixty species are included. They are 

 not easily kept in order on account of their straggling habit. The 

 vitality of the plant seems to leave the root and the centre, and to 

 reside almost entirely in the extremities. If these be cut off, the 

 plant will not throw up fresh shoots from the root, but perishes. 

 In some instances I have therefore cut off and planted in fresh 

 and suitable soil the extremities of the fronds ; and these have 

 made young and vigorous specimens. The experiment is however 

 too recent to be considered conclusive. Many of the rare Alpine 

 species have been tried, but most of them are in a sickly state. 

 S. Crista- Castrensis seems to thrive, but does not form so hand- 

 some a plant as BC. uncinatum. H. loreum becomes in appearance 

 exactly like jHT. squarrosum. H. atro-virens, from Ben Lawers, is 

 very beautiful. No Hypna fruit with me but those which are 

 commonly found fertile ; H. cordifolium is perhaps an exception. 



OmalIjE. — O. tricJiomanoides is healthy. NecTcera crispa is tied 



