Wilson's notes on British muscology. 375 



been made by Mr R. B. Bowman of Newcastle, who finds it 

 on the coast of Durham. 



4. P. pachycarpum, Schwaegr. Siippl. t. 2. Bruch and 



Schimper, Br. Eur. Fasc. i. t. 2 This has Hkewise been 



found by the same gentleman in the same neighbouriiood. 

 It is not an entirely new discovery, however; because P. cras- 

 sinervium, Grev. Fl. Crypt. Scot, is unquestionably the same 

 Moss incoi'rectly named, if the two authors above quoted are 

 to be relied upon. 



5. Hedwigia Hornschuchiana, Hook. Muse. Exot. t. 103. — 

 This Moss, in a barren state, has been found near Killarney, 

 in Ireland, by Dr Taylor. 



6. Gymnostomum Wilsoni. — The station for this species 

 near Forfar is inauthentic. Drummond's specimens pro- 

 bably belong to what was originally intended to be called 

 G. obtusum, Engl. Bat.; but such is the confusion relating to 

 that Moss, that no certain conclusion can be made con- 

 cerninsT it. 



7. G. microstomum — At the time when the remarks pub- 

 lished in Hooker's Brit. Fl. were written, genuine specimens 

 of this Moss were unknown to the writer, who had under 

 review, as it would seem, a state of Weissia controversa, with 

 abortive peristome. An excellent account of the true spe- 

 cies has been given by Mr Valentine in the 3Iuscologia Not- 

 tinghamiensis. That acute observer has shown that the cap- 

 sule or theca of Mosses is properly composed of three integ- 

 uments, viz., the outer one termed the theca; an inner one 

 called the thecal membrane which adheres to the outer cover- 

 ing or theca; the innermost is called the sporular sac. In this 

 Moss, the thecal membrane nearly closes up the mouth of the 

 capsule, and forms the thin annular border; the sporular sac 

 is united at the top with the columella, so as to forbid egress 

 to the seeds or sporules until long after the fall of the oper- 

 culum, and probably until the theca itself falls from the seta 

 or becomes broken by decay. 



Notwithstanding these apparently satisfactory characters, 

 it is not yet perfectly clear to the writer of this note, that 



