MOSSES 



is pink, l^iit later the}^ turn to red, orange, or brown. 

 They make the moss look like a green pincushion well 

 filled with pins. 



After a time small sacs appear at the top of these 

 hairlike stalks. At first they are but little thicker than 

 the stalk. Soon they grow larger and take different 

 shapes. Some are pear-shaped, and some are nearly 

 round; others urn-shaped; or they may be long and 

 slim. A few are like cubes or cylinders. One form 

 looks much like a closed parasol; another resembles a 

 small bug. These are the capsules that contain the 

 spores. 



Until nearly ripe man}^ of the capsules are covered 

 with little caps having high peaks and long laps. These 

 protect them from the sunshine and rain until they are 

 fully grown. Then the hood or cap is torn from its 

 support and carried to the top of the capsule, where it 

 stays until the spores are nearly ripe. At length it 

 falls off altogether. Then we find that under it there 

 is a little lid which covers the mouth of the capsule. 



A\Tien the lid comes off there is foimd around the 

 mouth of the capsule a fringe of single or doul)le rows of 

 teeth. These open in sunshine and close in rainy 

 weather. If 3^ou were to examine the inside of the cap- 

 sule with a microscope, you would find that the spores, 

 inclosed in little bags or spore cases, grow around a 

 column or pillar in the center. 



AMien the spores are ripe, it is a curious sight to see 



96 



