22 TALKS AFIELD. 



the right in the figure, and the sterile at the 

 left. 



The true Mosses are familiar to all. 

 They are widely distributed over the earth, 

 abounding most in cool and moist woods. 

 Their graceful forms and crisp appearance 

 have always won for them a j)lace in popu- 

 lar favor. We can all recall scenes of cool 

 and quiet woods where 



Cleanly moss in patches lay 



In darksome nooks unseen ; 

 And murmuring rills with laughter play 



'Mid mounds of freshest green ; — 

 Where Nature clothed her scars and dross 



With bright and seemly mats of moss. 



About nine hundred different species of 

 mosses occur in North America north of 

 Mexico. The structure of a moss may be 

 readily learned by a reference to Fig. 24, 

 which rei3resents the common pigeon-wheat 

 moss that grows on dry knolls. At the top 

 of the thread-like stem is seen the fruit. 

 The stem at the left shows the immature 

 fruit, which is covered by a hairy cap or ca- 

 lyptra. As the fruit matures this calyjjtra 

 falls off and discloses the capsule or pod as 

 represented at the right. An enlarged cap- 

 sule is shown in Fig. 25. On its top is a 

 lid or cover which falls off when the fruit 



