90 ON COLEOCH^TE. 



to form a sheath bearing the bristle protruding therefrom, but it 

 passes off uninterruptedly into the bristle. There is, however, a 

 rather well marked point of transition, where the slight tapering 

 basal portion ceases, and the extremely long and slender linear 

 bristle-portion may be said to begin ; the bristle does not appear 

 to be jointed. A characteristic of Aphanochcete (Brn.) is the non- 

 vaginated bristle ; but certain of the species of Coleochcete (Breb.) 

 have non-vaginated bristles. Hence the present plant may safely be 

 referred to Coleochcete, as indeed Pringsheim, granting the identity 

 of the plants, has done. But one and the same cell often seems" to 

 bear more than one, it may be two, three, or more bristles (some- 

 times five or six). This appears to be due to a repeated evacu- 

 ation of the older cell-wall, and the formation each time of a new 

 bristle ; for every cell has at least one bristle. 



This Coleocha'te might almost deserve to be called a unicellular 

 form, but not in the strictest sense. Of a fructification nothing 

 appears to be known, save the cursory observations chronicled in 

 the minutes of the Dublin Micro. Club, where it was shown that 

 an elliptic fruit- like structure, surrounded by a sharply-marked 

 mucous coating, this latter at each end showing a very narrow 

 depression, wider at the outer surface than below, but seemingly 

 inconspicuous or disaj^pearing after a time, often occurs in close 

 juxtaposition to examples of this pretty little form, empty of con- 

 tents. Although it has never been seen that the fruit-like body is 

 actually formed from the emerged contents of the adjacent empty 

 cells, the frequency of their concomitant occurrence renders the 

 assumption all but certain, and that in this elliptic body we have 

 at least a form of fruit of the plant, if, indeed, it be going as yet 

 too far to call it an " oogonium," or an *' oospore," destitute of 

 an oogonium proper. Though such conditions could not be strictly 

 denominated an " alternation of generations," yet we have here an 

 interesting and curious separation, as distinct " individuals" of the 

 fruit from the plant itself. This form occurred in several of the 

 Azores hot water gatherings, but none showed the form of fructifi- 

 cation here adverted to, being simply in the more frequent barren 

 (i.e., merely vegetative) state. 



BRYOLOGICAL NOTES. 

 By E. M. Holmes. 



Since the publication of the Devon and Cornwall Flora, the 

 following Mosses have been noticed in the above counties: — 



Campylopus paradoxus, WiLS. MSS. Morwell rocks, near Tavis- 

 tock, E. M. H. 



Growing rather sparingly on earth-covered ledges among the 

 rocks*. Its smaller size and compact habit distinguish.it at sight 

 from C. flexuosus, although under the microscope its structure 

 appears exactly similar. 



