MOSSES. 81 



hands. The capsule is oval, and more or less embosomed 

 in the leaves ; the fringe is sometimes single, sometimes 

 double, and in one species absent ; the lid is short, cone- 

 shaped, and beaked, and the veil bell-shaped, plaited, and 

 often covered with hairs. The plants are in tufts, on 

 trees or stones. The foliage is crisp and twisted when 

 dry, but becomes spreading when immersed in water. 

 There is always fruit upon the plant, for it takes twelve 

 months to bring it to maturity. This Single-fruited 

 Bristle moss seems quite at home upon the rough slab of 

 limestone ; its ripe urns have sixteen furrows, and the 

 veil is wide and of a light colour. The Wood Bristle 

 moss (Orthotrichum affine, Jig. 9 in cut) adorns this o 

 thorn stump, and luxuriates still more freely upon that 

 pollard willow, and the Feather moss helps in clothing 

 them. You might really suppose that Wordsworth had 

 made his sketch here : — 



" Like rock or stone, it is overgrown 



With lichens to the very top, 

 And hung with heavy tufts of moss, 



A melancholy crop : 

 Up from the earth these mosses creep, 



And this poor thorn they clasp it round, 

 So close, you'd say that they were bent 

 With plain and manifest intent 



To drag it to the ground." 



But on this occasion nature's poet is less tender to the 

 plants than is his wont, and in the same degre; 

 less just. One can hardly look upon these dainty- 

 mosses as a " melancholy crop," nor imagine them enter- 

 taining a cruel intention towards the poor old thorn. 



F 



