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rarer ones will be detected. If the bryologist has sharp eyes, and peers into the 

 lane hedges with sufficient persistency, and that disregard of the wonder of passers 

 by, without which no one should pretend to be a naturalist, he will find some of 

 the most minute members of the tribe. Fissidens Li/lei is one of the rarer minute 

 mosses (which it would be difficult to detect if it were not so gregarious), which is 

 decidedly common upon our lane banks. Another, of about the same stature, 

 Fissidens exilis, is a good deal rarer with us ; I have found it at Sellack. Most 

 minute of all, it is the lane banks where, if anywhere, in Herefordshire at least, 

 he will discover Ephemerian serratum. With us this plant is not gregarious— 

 elsewhere, I believe, it is gregarious in fallow fields — but grows scattered, in single 

 capsules, amongst the confervoid growth of other mosses. In such situations it is 

 only a bright sunlight and keen eye which can detect it. Here, too, on bare 

 earth under old hedges, he will find Trichostomum mutabile (once in fruit, on 

 stones under Linder Wood, Foy) ; and here some Screw-mosses which are 

 accounted rarities, but which certainly are not so with us, viz., Barbula (Di- 

 dymodon) sinuosa and manjinata. The first of these should be looked for on 

 very damp stones, the latter on decaying sandstone in shady places ; in which 

 situations in the month of June he will find it very fine and in good fruit. Later 

 on in the summer he will find in similar situations Gymnostomtun tenue in 

 perfect fruit. Here, too, another rarity exists, which is abundant in Hereford- 

 shire, Mnium stellare ; always barren, but easily known from its congeners by its 

 toothed leaves, destitute of a border. And here he will find the well marked 

 Scleropodium iUecebrum, taking up whole yards of a rocky hedge bank nearly to 

 the exclusion of all other vegetation. This is certainly abundant in Herefordshire 

 lanes; in fruit it is accounted very rare, but I have found it in this state in King's 

 Capel. 



Wall tops are clothed with beautiful moss vegetation in the early months of 

 the year, from January up to April and May ; after that they get for the most 

 part burnt up. Here the whole tribe of common Screw-mosses is to be found. 

 The Aloe-leaved Screws (Barbula ambigua and aloides) are both common, often 

 growing intermixed. Still more common is Barbula cnnvoluta, and of course most 

 common of all is muralis. The unmistakeable Extinguisher moss (Encalypta vid- 

 garis) is not very common with us ; but it is found, especially on the limestone. 

 With the Brya I am sorry to say I have a very limited acquaintance ; but besides 

 the common ccespiticium and capiUare, pendtdum, inclinatum, intermedium, atro- 

 purpureum, and murale are certainly found. Tree boles also yield a rich harvest. 

 Barbula papillosa is not rare with us ; Zygodon viridissimus is abundant. I have 

 several times found it fruiting. Ncckera complanata and Leucodon sciuroides, 

 are abundant, barren ; the former I have once detected fruiting, on limestone at 

 Aymestry, the latter never. Of tree Orthotricha we cannot at present boast a 

 long list— Lpellii is common ; leiocarpum, Mr. Crouch finds at Pembridge ; te- 

 nellum is not, I think, rare ; but there — when we have mentioned the common 

 affine and diaphanwm, and some river species to be separately spoken of— the list 

 at present ends. Our timber in Herefordshire is singularly destitute of Ortho- 

 tricha, forming in this a great contrast to the timber of damper counties. Not 



