127 



destitute of flowers to gladden the eye, still these defects (if 

 defects they be,) are eminently counterbalanced by their 

 admirable beauty of structure. 



But, whilst on the one hand, we lament the general neglect 

 winch has been evinced towards Mosses by the great body of 

 botanical collectors, we on the other hand cannot speak too 

 highly in praise of the recent labours of Mr. James Drum- 

 mond, Dr. Joseph Hooker, and Mr. Eichard Spruce, who 

 have added immensely to our stock of knowledge of the 

 general laws of geographical distribution, with respect to this 

 tribe. 



Much remains however to be done in Africa, and in the 

 two great continents of America, to enable us even to form an 

 idea of their muscology ; our information to the present time 

 having been chiefly derived from casual visitors of those parts 

 of the globe.* 



Mosses were little known, and very ill-understood, until 

 the days of Hedwig. Indeed, so little was known regarding 

 their generic distinctions, that Linnseus described under his 

 order " Mitsci " the genus Li/copodmm, (or Clubmosses) and 

 Porella, one of the Hepatim. In the " Genera Plantarum" 

 he described eleven genera; two of which, Zi/cojwdium and 

 Porella, (as before stated), have been since removed to other 

 orders, thus reducing the number of actual genera to nine, 

 including one hundred and eleven species. Lindley, in the 

 last edition of his " Vegetable Kingdom," enumerates forty- 

 six genera, and 1113 species; and Montague estimates the 

 number of species at 2400. Even this will be materially 

 increased on the completion of Carl. Midler's " Synopsis 

 Muscorum Trondosorum," now extending to the fourth 

 Fasciculus. 



* Since this was written, Mr. Spruce bas left England for Para, having sailed 

 from Liverpool on the 7th June, 1849, intending to examine the botany of the great 

 basin of the Amazon. And, from Mr. Spruce's great knowledge of the Musci, and 

 hi» predeliction in their favour, we cannot doubt but that his labours in this direction 

 will be most BUCCessfuI. 



