MOSS HABITATS, 37 
Spherangium muticum is much more rare, occurs in sandy and marly 
fields in dark-green or brownish tufts, looking to the unassisted eye like 
small tufts of minute bulbs. .Itis more minute than the last, and has 
broad, roundish, concave leaves, not keeled, but rounded on the back, the 
nerye rarely reaching the leaf-tip, and the leaves are usually slightly 
toothed in their upper part, and have plane margins ; the capsule is 
round, and quite hidden among the upper leaves; the spores pale, 
roundish, smooth; leaf-cells large. In good fruit, March or April. 
Ephemerum serratum occurs most abundantly in marly fields, but 
may also be found in sandy ones, and looks to the unassisted eye like a 
little patch of green conferva; the lens will, however, show the small 
reddish-brown sessile capsules, surrounded by the narrow lance-shaped 
slightly toothed leaves ; the leaves are nerveless, light-green, with trans- 
parent longish leaf cells; spores yellow, globose, slightly roughened. In 
this moss the protonema [Plate IV., Fig. 3 a] continues throughout the 
lifetime of the moss ; and hence, in a single specimen under the micro- 
scope, the life-history of a moss may often be seen—the protonema, young 
buds, perfect plant, and capsule bearing the spores. Fruit, October to 
April. 
Archidium phascoides I have rarely found in fields, but it does occur 
occasionally in marly fallow fields ; it is very minute, and requires close 
searching, and as the capsule is very small may often be passed over as a 
mere barren tuft of Dicranella varia. It may, however, be known by its 
round capsules and strongly nerved leaves, and by its giving off lateral, 
sterile, whip-shaped shoots from the fertile stem. 
Pottia minutula I find not unfrequent in marly fields, in small, 
brownish-green tufts. The stem is very short, the leaves oblong, lance- 
shaped, tapering to the point, slightly overlapping and spreading when 
moist, erect when dry, margin much recurved; capsule on a short fruit- 
stalk ; mouth naked, i.e., without a fringe; lid large, conical; leaf-cells 
quadrate. 
Tortula unguiculata occurs in every sort of soil, is very variable, and 
often puzzling. Sometimes great glaucous green tufts of this moss will 
be seen without a vestige of fruit, at other times fruiting specimens will 
be abundant. The leaves are oblong, lance-shaped, blunt, with a minute 
point formed by the projecting nerve, margin curved towards the under 
side; leaf-cells dense and quadrate in the upper part, large and trans- 
parent below; leaves much twisted when dry; capsule erect, cylindrical ; 
fringe of thirty-two twisted teeth ; lid awl-shaped. 
Funaria fascicularis occurs in sandy fields, in scattered tufts, and will 
be readily known by its widely lance-shaped toothed leaves, with large 
leaf-cells, pear-shaped capsule, convex lid, and inflated calyptra, (Plate 
IV., Fig. 17,) no peristome or fringe. 
Many of our heath-lands are being rapidly reclaimed; and vexatious 
as it may be to the Botanist to see the haunts of some of his favourites 
destroyed, he will, if wise, feel that it is far better that these lands should 
be made the means of employing labour and adding to the wealth of the 
country, rather than allowed to lie idle, the mere producers of weeds. 
G 
