MOSSES. 67 



There are many other species in this family, but they 

 have not rewarded our search. 



The White-leaved Fork-Moss (Leucobryum glaucum) 

 we did not find till a later period. When staying in 

 London, I joined a pic-nic to Virginia waters. Under 

 the trees there, within sight of the lake, I came upon a 

 carpet of soft whitish moss. Its colour reminded me of 

 the Sphagnum upon our dear Yorkshire moors. The 

 stems were short — two or at most three inches in height, 

 — slightly branched. They were stiff in form, and closely 

 covered with lance-shaped, channelled, blunt leaves. 

 The urns were short, and the footstalks short also ; the 

 latter were withering, their time of perfection being 

 March. 



The Purple Fork-moss (Ceratodon purpureum, Plate V., 

 fig. 7) is very common on waste ground, banks, fallow 

 fields, and such places. Edward first found it on heaps 

 of sand at Hawkhurst, being attracted by its abundant • 

 of shining purple urns, and fruit-stalks of the same 

 colour. The foliage is of a dull green, the leaves spread- 

 ing, much twisted when dry. I have since found it both 

 in Yorkshire and Herefordshire. 



The Swan-neck Mosses are near allies of the Fork- 

 mosses. The Beaked species (Dicranodontium langirostre) 

 has very long, narrow-pointed, curled leaves of a bright 

 dark green. The fruitstalk bends when moist, concealing 

 the urn among the foliage, but becomes erect when dry. 

 It is a rare moss, very rare in fruit. Our specimens came 

 from near Lennox. 



The Compact Swan-neck Moss (Campilopus brevipilus) 

 is a very attactive species. Its foliage is silky, the 



