238 ADDITIONS TO THE IRISH MOSS FLORA. 



belonging to the North American Drepanium group of Hypnum 1 *, 

 which he was studying and comparing with European forms. He 

 writes as follows : — 



" I was surprised to find in my herbarium a little barren speci- 

 men of Hypnum circinale Hook., gathered at Killarney (Ireland) by 

 Mons. D. Moore. This specimen came from the herbarium of my 

 honoured father-in-law, M. Piri, and is labelled Hypnum harmdosum 

 B. S. Damp rocks, Killarney (Ireland), leg. D. Moore. The spe- 

 cimen gathered at Killarney, according to the label, on rocks is quite 

 identical with the specimens growing on bark from North America." 



I wrote to M. J. Cardot asking him for a small portion, that I 

 might be enabled to identify the plant, and he very kindly sent me 

 the specimen which he stated he had already shown to Dr. Braith- 

 waite. I am a little puzzled to know why Dr. Braithwaite should 

 take it for any form of H. hamulosum, as its appearance at once 

 suggests H. cupressifonne, especially the filiforme group, and I fear 

 there has bem some mistake as to where it was found growing, 

 probably through a mis-translation. It was more likely to be found 

 by Dr. Moore on rotting wood among the damp moist rocks at 

 Killarney. I have sent M. Cardot a specimen gathered in the 

 same locality, found on the bark of trees, which I could not well 

 separate from it. It is described in Midler's ' Synopsis Muscorum,' 

 vol. ii. p. 318. " H. circinale Hook. Muse. Ex. t. 107. Patria. In 

 arboribus in plaga occidentali America? meridionalis (Menzies, 1793) 

 E Chile habuit Hampe. " " H. (Stereudon) circinalis (Menz. Hook.) " 

 Bridel, Bryologia Universa, vol. ii., p. 621. It is also described by 

 Lesquereux, in his ' Mosses of North America.' 



H. canarieme Brid. Xeckera canariensis Brid. (Sp. Muse. ii. p. 

 29) ; Midler, Syn. Muse. ii. p. 109. Hypnum. flageUis instar caudce 

 vulpintB, Dill. Muse. p. 306, t. 39, fig. 41. Astrodontium canarieme 

 Dill., Brid. vol. ii. p. 220. 



" In omnibus insulis Canariis prsesertirn in Teneriffa sylvis 

 prope Lagunam truncus arborum vetustos habitans. Hb. Dillen 

 Rudley, Bory, St. Vincent, Prof. Schmidt, 1815. Hab. On trunks 

 of trees, Cromaglown, Killarney (near the Hunting Tower), Dr. 

 Moore, 1872. fide S. 0. Lindberg." 



A number of the mosses which inhabit Ireland have a remark- 

 able geographical distribution over various distant parts of the 

 world, affording subject for reflection on the climatical conditions of 

 plant life. 



We will take at random a few familiar instances. The well 

 known aquatics, Fontinalis antipyretica and F. sqitammosa, are found 

 in North America ; Cryphcea heteromalla in North America ; Hypnum 

 mullvscum in Northern India and North America; H. sericeum in 

 North America, from Canada to the Rocky Mountains ; Andrea 

 petrophila Ehrhart, from New Zealand, Northern Island, Fuegia, 

 Tasmania, Andes of South America ; this was found by Dr. Moore, 

 luxuriating on the rocks at Lugnaquilla, Wicklow, and in Conne- 

 mara, Galway. Several species of Sphagnum, Fissidens bryoides, 

 anl F. viridulus, are found in New Zealand, Northern Island, Bay 

 of Islands, and North America. The rare Campylopus introflvxm 



