ON THE STUDY Of THE MOSSES. 61 



to most of their former beauty, their lovely leaves again expand, the minute 

 cells of which they are built are again fiUed with fluids, and with the aid 

 of the microscope all theu- details may be made out as readily as though 

 they had been gathered but an hour ago, so that for real and minute study 

 this may truly be called a fireside one. 



For the sake of those who would wish to commence the study, but 

 lack the knowledge how to begin, when and where to seek their 

 plants, and how to distinguish them when found, these hints have been 

 written, and I shall endeavour, as clearly as I can, to supply a few 

 elementary lessons in moss collecting, drc. 



Before beginning to collect certain aids are required : these are few 

 and simple. First, a bag or satchel of some kind for stowing away speci- 

 mens as they are gathered. One of the canvas bags with a strap to sling 

 over the shoulder, such as are now offered from a shilling upwards, will 

 be seirviceable and sufficient. Sonae pieces of good strong newspaper six 

 to nine inches square will be required to wrap up each specimen 

 separately as gathered. These papers should be numbered pre\-ious to 

 starting out, using ink rather than pencil, for the mosses will often be 

 wet and pencil marks are then easily obliterated. In order to keep the 

 tufts of moss clean and distinct too many should not be put into one 

 paper. When the paper is filled and folded the number of the package 

 should be entered in the collectors note book, with remarks as to habitat, 

 locality, and date. Such, for instance, as this : — " No. 1. Marly bank, 

 Tythall Lane, near Solihull. Formation, Keuper Marl. Feb. 9th, 1878, ' 

 and such other particulars as it may be well to remember. 



And here I may observe that at first it would be ad^-isable to collect 

 those mosses only which have their fruit fully matured, and then, when 

 these have been carefully examined and their distinguishing characters 

 mastered, barren specimens may be collected ; for many of our rarest 

 British mosses are more frequently found barren than fruiting, and they 

 must not, of coui-se, be neglected. As soon as home is reached each of the 

 packages should be opened, and if time serves roughly examined. If not, 

 they should be placed LQ the opened papers on the floor of a room where they 

 will be undisturbed, and allowed to get thoroughly dry. It will be 

 advisable at the same time to place a sUp of paper with each package 

 containing a copy of the notes from note book. "^Tien the specimens are 

 dry they may be again wrapped up and put by for an indefinite time for 

 future examination. If the mosses are allowed to dry in the un- 

 opened papers just as they are gathered they will be nearly certain to 

 become mildewed, and will be very unsightly and useless, and thus the 

 trouble of collecting will have been taken in vain. 



All these details may seem to make the preliminary work very 

 tedious to the beginner, but he will soon get over any trksomeness he 

 may at first feel, and he will be rewarded by his specimens being saved 

 in good condition. 



A pocket lens will be required for the examination of the plants in 

 the field, one having a power of about ten diameters, i.e., about one inch 

 focal length, will be found serviceable, and if with two powers, i.e., one 



