344 BRYOLOGY OF OXFORD. [November, 



The localities mentioned are mostly within a ramble of from 

 two to five hours from the city, and mostly in Oxfordshire, but 

 Bagley Wood, Cumnor, and Wytham Wood are over the border, 

 and included in that portion of Berkshire that thrusts itself up to 

 the walls of Oxford. The list is probably imperfect, and additions 

 might be made to it by better bryologists than myself, or by 

 taking a wider range for close examination ; still the additions 

 would, I believe, not be numerous, in the vicinity of the city at 

 least ; for the locality is by no means a particularly favourable 

 one, especially for the summer Mosses, of which I have seen but 

 few, and those occurring very unfrequently at best. After April 

 is over the air becomes far too dry for these delicate little plants, 

 which prefer the more moist and pure atmosphere of alpine or 

 maritime regions. It is true we have had moisture enough this 

 summer of 1860, and in consequence Tortula rigida, T. amhigua, 

 and T. aloides were all seen in fruit in the middle of August, 

 beiDg three months before their usual time. 



The total number of species enumerated as having fallen under 

 my own observation is, I think, 120, to which may be added 

 some three or four mentioned by Sibthorp, but which I have 

 failed to find, and one or two others. In the case of Hypnum 

 Crista-castrensis, Sibthorp was probably in error, as I have re- 

 marked below, and I imagine the report of Bryum julaceum from 

 the Botanic Garden walks to be equally erroneous. There might 

 be some few, say five or even ten species, added in the county j 

 but this would probably be the limit. It thus appears that we 

 have rather more than a quarter of the British species, of which 

 there are now about 460 enumerated ; and this proportion is, I 

 suppose, as good as can be expected in such a district. The ma- 

 jority of them grow in woods, thickets, and moist hedge and ditch 

 banks, as far as species are concerned ; but with regard to indi- 

 vidual plants, probably the greatest number would be found on 

 walls, especially those capped with the limestone mud, as Pottia, 

 Tortula, etc. The tree-growing species are by no means com- 

 m.on, with the exception, perhaps, of Orthotrichum affine, and the 

 barren Leucodon sciuroides, which are pretty frequent, and Liskea 

 sericea, common enough. I fear those plants loving rocks and 

 river-sides, such as Trichostomum 7'igidulum, are altogether want- 

 ing, nor can we expect any of those species having a preference 

 for sandstone, there being no fitting habitat for them. 



