soil in an old st awberry bed. When mature it is easily recog- 

 nized by the peculiar looking curved capsule, with its mouth on 

 one side (Figs. 5 and 6). When immature it is much harder to 

 recognize because the capsule is erect and nearly symmetric and 

 the calyptra has not assumed the rakish position indicated in fig- 

 ure 5. 



This moss has perhaps been given a more careful study than 

 any other species, and it is the one described in nearly all our text- 

 books. There are several other species in the United States, but 

 only this one is likely to be met with by our readers. So char- 

 acteristic is the appearance of the mature plant that we will give 

 no detailed description, but will refer briefly to the characters not 

 before explained. When the lid is removed there will be seen at 

 the base of the peristome around the outer rim of the urn, two or 

 three rows of peculiar vesicular (bladder-like), thin-walled cells, 

 forming the annulus (Fig. 4a). If the operculum has already 

 fallen, the annulus will be gone also. It is said to be deciduous. 

 In some species it remains attached to the mouth of the urn and 

 is said to be persistent. The annulus is very highly elastic, and 

 when the capsule is fully ripe it helps throw off the operculum. 

 The peristome consists of sixteen undivided, colored, articulate 

 teeth, and inside of these another row of sixteen thin, light-colored 

 teeth, known as the endostome, each tooth being called a segment 

 or process. In Funaria the segments are entirely separate and 

 are opposite the teeth. If the teeth be viewed in profile a sharp 

 projection (appendage) will be seen extending inwards from each 

 articu'ation. The articulations mark the boundary between the 

 cells and the appendage, the thickened wall separating the two 

 cells. These appendages are well shown in Fig. 4. 



The spores ripen early in June, and there is not a member of 

 the Chapter who cannot easily collect an abundance of fresh ma- 

 terial for study. 



The Urn Moss {Physcomilrinm turbinalum (Mx.) Brid.) — 

 P. pyriforme of Lesquereux and James' Manual) is undoubtedly 

 very closely related to Funaria. The figures show us that the 

 leaf structure of one species resembles the other, but to the beginner 

 it will seem strange to classify a moss with no peristome at all as 

 the near relative of one with a double peristome. Vet this ar- 

 rangement is accepted by pretty nearly everybody who has studied 

 the two carefully, anti there are several other similar cases. For 

 some unexplained reason the urn moss seems to have lost its peri- 



