﻿Proceedings of the Club 519 



differs from them all. It is undoubtedly a new species of the 

 Hypnaceae, probably a Rhyncliosteginm, and will be named for its 

 discoverer, Prof. Knowlton. 



In the discussion following, it was remarked by Dr. Hollick 

 that fossil mosses are extremely rare. All specimens known are 

 Tertiary or later, one reported from a Carboniferous horizon being 



now thought doubtful ; 



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times is inferred from the existence of an insect then, the present 

 representatives of which feed upon mosses. The only fossil moss 

 heretofore recorded from the United States is Lesquereux's Hyp- 

 num Haydeni, now believed to be instead a species of Lycopodium. 

 Fragments from the Pleistocene have been reported from Canada. 

 The species described this evening is probably the first distinct 

 American species. Thirty or more foreign fossil musci have been 

 described, many of them members of the genera Hypiium, Har- 

 pidunn, and Sphagnum. To this genus Sphagnum belongs the 

 only fossil moss as yet known " in fruit," a Tertiary specimen pre- 

 served in brown iron ore. 



Discussion followed regarding the reasons for the rarity of 

 moss fossils, Dr. Underwood, Dr. Britton, Mrs. Britton, Dr. 

 Hollick, and the Secretary participating. 



The second paper, by Dr. L. M. Underwood, was entitled, 

 " The Species of Botrychium of the B. tematum group." The 

 paper, which will soon be published, was accompanied by numer- 

 ous specimens and followed by discussion at length of the princi- 

 pal eastern representatives, especially of />'. intermedium. 



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tion of mosses recently transferred from the Philosophical Society 

 of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. They 

 are preserved exactly as Muhlenberg left them, even to the replac- 

 ing of a knothole. With each specimen is preserved the number 

 he had originally given it, the number he had used in sending it to 

 Hedwig, and the name given it by Hedwig. The bulk of Muhlen- 

 berg's ferns went to Willdenow at Berlin. 



Among the collections at the Academy of Sciences in Phila- 

 delphia, besides those of Schweinitz, Sullivant, Nuttall and Dar- 

 lington, is that of Pursh, whose herbarium is still a series of scat- 



