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brown slime. Within the influence of this band of slime Barbula latifoHa is very 

 abimdant on the stumps ))y the Wye, fruiting sometimes in the Ross district. Its 

 rare congener, Barbula Brebissoni, is equally abundant all along the Monnow in 

 similar situations, from Kentchurch nearly to Monmouth, and fruiting finely ; 

 while on both streams, the two river Orthotrichn, rivulare and Sprucei, are 

 common, the former just below the water-line, the latter in the muddy zone. Of 

 course, the common Leskea poli/carpa, and Rhynchosteyium rusciforme, are 

 abundant along the river stumps and stones ; while the rarer Sderopodium 

 ccespitosum is found, and I believe not rarely, on stumps, &c., within the influence 

 of the fertilizing river mud. I have once succeeded in finding this in fruit. 



Within the mud, too, a large variety of Barbula stibulata is common, looking so 

 strange in this situation that you take it at first for a separate species. In connec- 

 tion with this zone of river mud, I will also mention an interesting Herefordshire 

 plant, because it is here especially found fruiting, Barbula cylindrica. This has 

 hitherto been considered uncommon, and the fruit a great rarity ; but, in our 

 district it is not only common, but ubiquitous, wearying the eye of the collector 

 by presenting itself to him everywhere. Stones, stumps, dry walls, marly banks, 

 the shade, the full sun, the muddy river banks— there is no situation to which, in 

 Herefordshire, it cannot accommodate itself. On the muddy banks of the river it 

 fruits more freely perhaps than elsewhere, but even in this state it is not particular. 

 Why this should be so, while in other counties it is rare, I do not know. In the 

 neighbourhood of Oxford, its place, Mr. Boswell informs me, is taken by Barbula 

 vinealis, a plant to say the least quite rare with us, as far as my knowledge goes. 



It is on the muddy stones and stumps of the river bank that the greatest 

 Herefordshire moss rarity is to be found, Bryum Barncsi, a plant recently discovered 

 by Mr. Barnes in Cumberland, and certainly not infrequent along the W'ye, but 

 barren, and usually in very small quantities. Near Breinton I have, however, 

 found large masses together ; and it should spur the muscologist to his labours to 

 reflect that in some such situation the fruit will probably be found— a thing which 

 has never yet met the scientific eye of man. I believe this river bank moss 

 vegetation has, as yet, been but imperfectly explored, and only waits to yield its 

 scientific treasures to him who has the perseverance and the skill to tap them. 



The Teme and the Lugg I scarcely know at all, yet there is no reason to 

 suppose them less rich than the Wye and Monnow. In the upper river courses, 

 for instance, the heads of the Monnow and its tributaries, there is perhaps not such 

 a peculiar moss-vegetation ; but here you obtain Dkhodontium pellucidum, and 

 Mnium serratum fruiting ; while about the steep clay banks of the slower and 

 more lowland streamlets, Dicranum Schreberi, and Webera carnea and albicans are 

 not rare. Fissidens crassipes is peculiarly addicted to mill wheels and sluices, 

 though it, or something very near it, grows also in the Wye itself. One iron mill 

 wheel near Hoarwithy, is covered with what I believe to be this plant. 



One or two rare Hypnoidsare found on stones in shady brooklets ; Amblyste- 

 gium irriyuum grows in such a situation at Breinton ; the rarer A. radicale I have 

 found both here and in more than one locality in the Ross district ; A. fiuviatile, Mr. 



