MVSVI. 41 



for the most ]nit minute ami inconspicuous. Garckea phaacoldes [Grimmi(X fcxuoKa 

 of Grilf. NotuUe), with Bidijimdun fuccidun and Torfula ci/ltndracca (which i[ittcii 

 says is a form of our common British Weimia toiitiro.stris), may be looked for on 

 clay banks. Bryum coronntmn is rather common ou walls and old Pagodas. A small 

 Jlypnum or two, //. WrkjJdii and II. Tavoyeme, with Sauloma microcarpon and 

 caiidtidim, may be found frequently on trees ; Leskeit investis and two or three more 

 on rocks and stones ; but these are all small and scanty, liardly large enough to 

 attract attention. The only two plants, perhaps, which are found in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the towns worthy of description, are — 



OcTOELKPnARUM ALBiDn.u, Hedwig. 



This is one of the very few mosses which has eiyhl teetli in the peristome. 

 None are found with this number in Great Britain, nor, I believe, in Europe. We 

 have a moss witli four teeth — Tefniplifs ; but this too is a rare number, sixteen being 

 by far the commonest, in fact the prevailing number, either in a single or double 

 series. 



0. alhidum grows in small dense tufts of a glaucous colour, i.e. a viTy pale 

 green, approaching to white. The individual plants arc about a (puirter of an inch 

 high ; stem simple ; leaves linear, suddenly acuminate, nerveless, fleshy, spreading 

 on all sides, not curled when dry. Spore-case terminal, ovate : — peristome consisting 

 of eiglit broad teeth with an interval between them, and a line down the centre. 

 Operculum beaked ; calyptra dimidiate. llather common on trees ; easily detected 

 by its whitish colour. 



ScnisToiiiTKirii G.iEDXKKiANiiM, Mitten. 



This is another small caispitose moss of a glaucous hue, smaller even than the 

 last. Stem simple or nearly so, one-eighth of an inch high ; leaves densely imbricated, 

 lanceolate, pointed, nerveless. Spore-case on a very short stalk, cup-shaped or tur- 

 binate ; (ipercuhim conical, long, straight, subulate ; calyptra exceedingly long and 

 subulate (awl-sha])ed), jagged and laciniated at the base, dimidiate ; peristome none. 

 The fruit is almost hid among the leaves. It forms large conspicuous patches, 

 always, as found bj- me, immediately at the foot of large trees. Toung-wine, near 

 Maulmain. 



This curious little moss is found uearlj- all over the world ; in Nepaul, Madras, 

 IIong-Kong, in Brazil (where Gardner tirst discovered it), and in Mexico at 3000 

 feet of elevation. 



As mosses, though ubicjuitous in small quantities, have their proper home in the 

 temperate regions of the earth, where they reach their highest development, it is 

 necessary to ascend the mountains, if our finer Burmese species woidd be found. 

 There the fine branched Ilypna, and the pendulous species of Mcteoriani, and others, 

 may be found in fair profusion on tlie ground and festooning the trees. 



Besides forms peculiarly Tropical, we find, there, at considerable elevations, a 

 sprinkling of European species, such as Spluiynuin cuspidatum, Fanaria hygrouutrica, 

 and Polytrichum {I'ogonatum) ahiides. 



As a detailed desciiption of species is more than is contemplated in this work, 

 also more than is likely to be rccjuired by the rising Bryologists of Burma. I .shall 

 bring this short sketch of the Order to a close with a brief description of tlie three 

 Eui'opean species last mentioned ; and this I shall borrow chielly from Mr. Berkeley. 



SnrAG.NTM, Ehrenhrg. 



Sporangium globose ; receptacle elongated, fleshy ; peristome none ; lid convex, 

 nearly fl;it ; calyptra irreguhirly torn ; leaf-cells of two kinds [Heterodictya), tlie 

 one large, containing a spiral thread, tlic walls perforated between the spirals; the 

 other linear, surrounding the first. 



S. cuspidatum : Stem elongated, branches fasciculate (crowded at the end), at- 

 tenuated, some deflexcd, closely adpressed. Stem leaves ovate, acute, s]ircading ; 

 branch-leaves lanceolate, tapering ; margin undulated when dry. Extremely variable. 



