216 DAVID BRYCE ON THE 



only a minority of the Bdelloida pass their lives in such habitats, 

 and that the greater number of the species of this group habi- 

 tually live in all sorts of situations, under all kinds of conditions, 

 away from pools and ditches, and are quite able to sustain life 

 and to thrive, if occasionally supplied with water by the fall 

 of rain, or even by the evening fall of dew. The knowledge of 

 such potentialities, not in one or two animals, but in a long 

 and constantly increasing array of species, must considerably 

 affect our estimate of the importance of Eotifera in the animal 

 kingdom. 



Under the heading of Moss work I include the collection of 

 Fontinalis or similar mosses found occasionally in masses in 

 running waters in hilly districts, and of those finer-leaved forms 

 sometimes found in ponds ; of mosses growing on submerged 

 stones or wood ; of all bog-mosses, and especially Sphagnum, 

 whether in bog-pools or elsewhere ; of all mosses from dripping 

 rocks or wet banks ; of all tree-mosses and mosses on tree- 

 stumps ; of roof-mosses, wall-mosses and ground -mosses, and 

 even, and by no means least, of pavement -mosses. To put it 

 more briefly and comprehensively : of mosses from anywhere 

 and from everywhere. I also include the collection of liverworts 

 and even lichens, although the latter have only occasionally been 

 found to harbour Rotifera. For the present purpose it will be 

 convenient to divide these various mosses (and liverworts) into 

 two categories : the wet mosses, including all those which are 

 found growing in positions usually wet ; and the dry mosses, 

 comprising those which grow in positions usually dry — that is, 

 in dry weather. As the wet mosses are in some respects the 

 easier to deal with, I refer to them first. 



Such mosses as Fontinalis are generally found growing in 

 some quantity and are frequently very j^roductive. Some hand- 

 fuls should be washed in the net and the results placed in a 

 separate bottle, as they must be looked over as soon as possible, 

 the water being so overburdened with impurities that it will 

 not remain sweet for long. I also take home a moderate supply 

 of the wet moss in a metal box, first allowing the water to drain 

 off, and then packing the moss very loosely. If thus treated 

 and kept in a cool place, even these coarse yet tender mosses 



