R. Brown.— On N.Z. Musci. 323 



I am not aware that we have in New Zealand moths large 

 enough to rupture a corolla so large as that of Bhabdothamnus , 

 for the flower is torn for fully two-thirds of its length, and not 

 simply pricked or bitten through. 



From what has been said we can easily suppose how this 

 nicely adjusted mechanism works. Bird visitors to the newly 

 opened flowers will have the forehead dusted with pollen from 

 the ripe anther disc. On visiting flowers that have been open 

 several days this pollen will come in contact with the large 

 papillose stigma, which now occupies the position the anther 

 disc occupied before, and thus pollination is effected. 



It is likely that pollen from the same plant will be applied 

 to a ripe stigma as often as that from another plant, for on the 

 same shrub flowers in all stages of development may generally 

 be found. The shrubs, however, are usually gregarious, so 

 that true cross-pollination must often ensue. Whether pollen 

 from a different plant is prepotent over that from other 

 flowers on the same plant is a point that can be settled only 

 by a series of experiments. 



One or two further details are of interest. The covering of 

 stiffish pubescent hairs that overspreads the outer surface of 

 the corolla- tube doubtless serves to ward off small insects, 

 such as ants, that might steal the nectar without in any way 

 contributing to pollination. 



The position of the flowers is such as would best suit the 

 -approach of small birds hovering on the wing while extracting 

 the nectar. The twigs are so fine that they would hardly 

 afford foothold for even the smallest native birds, or even sup- 

 port their weight. The rupturing of the flowers is no doubt 

 an accidental phenomenon, caused by the bird's body falling 

 below the level of the axis of the flower. It is certain that 

 many flowers set seed that are never ruptured. 



Art. Xli. — On the Musci of the Calcareous Districts of New 

 Zealand, with Descriptions of New Species. 



By Robert Brown. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 1st August, 



1902.'] 



Plates XXXV.-XL. 

 The following contribution towards a better knowledge of 

 the bryology of New Zealand consists of descriptions of species 

 collected in various places in. New Zealand since the genera to 

 which the species belong were treated of by me in papers 

 previously read before this Institute. The greater number of 

 the species described in this paper were collected from cal- 



