Brown. — On Neiv Zealand Musci. 463 



47. B. hlandum, H. f. and W. Plate XLIV., fig. 59. 



Hab. On stones, near running water ; on rocks, in the 

 spray of waterfalls, Mounts Torlesse and Ben More ; Kai- 

 koura, near the Eiver Hapuka ; and on rocks, near the Suther- 

 land Falls, in the spray. Collected by E. B. 



Genus Meesia, Hedwig. 



This genus has a great affinity with Bryum, through the 

 pyriform capsules and double peristomes having the same 

 number of teeth. The capsules of Meesia, however, differ 

 from those of Bryum in their being more gibbous on the 

 back, and in the mouth being more oblique. The peristome 

 also differs from that of Bryum in the outer being shorter than 

 the inner. 



One species of this genus — M. macrantha (described in the 

 "Handbook of the New Zealand Flora," page 444) — -I regret 

 I have seen no specimens of. I have carefully compared all 

 the species described in this paper with the description of the 

 above-named plant, and find that, although they all agree 

 with it in being obtuse or round at the apex of the leaves and 

 in the nerve ending below the apex, they all differ from it in 

 other characters. 



The five species described in this paper are of an aquatic 

 habit, having been found growing in shallow running water, 

 but not submerged ; they all approach each other in the form 

 of the leaves, the capsules being the principal distinguishing 

 character. 



I regret to have to state that some of the species have 

 become extinct in the habitats given in this paper, their special 

 habits making them very liable to be overgrown by other vege- 

 tation. The Mount Torlesse and Port Lyttelton hills habitats 

 have been extinct for several years. The former has been 

 overgrown by other plants ; in the latter the plants grew on a 

 flat rock over which water slowly moved, and, as this water 

 was turned aside for domestic purposes, the rock dried and the 

 Mecsias on it perished. 



The figures of the species are all of the same magnifica- 

 tion. 



1. M. hirhii, sp; nov. Plate XLIV., fig. 60. 



Plants monoecious, growing in patches -J- in. high, pale- 

 green above, nearly black below. Stems -^in., radiculose ; 

 innovations J in., slender, fastigiate. Leaves nearly erect, 

 imbricating round the stem, small, oblong, round at the apex, 

 concave ; margins entire, plain ; nerve stout below, ending 

 below the apex. Innovation leaves close, nearly erect, oblong, 



