354 ORTHOTRICHUM ANOMALUM. [December, 



and, indeed, incompetency, for the task, for me to wish to be 

 regarded as any authority upon such matters ; neither would I 

 venture to presume to criticize the labours of others who are 

 justly esteemed as pillars of the science, in any manner save 

 that which is most deferential. The subject is one that is full 

 of difficulty, and I approach its discussion with great difl&dence : 

 probably it may be found that I have fallen into erroneous mis- 

 conceptions, or been guilty of false deductions; — if so, all I 

 would ask, is a lenient and indulgent forbearance on the part 

 of those so much more competent than myself, and that they 

 will kindly point out and correct any errors or deficiencies that 

 may occur to them. I am solely actuated by an anxious desire 

 to search out truth, and do what little is in my power to pro- 

 mote the interests of science, and stimulate others to further 

 and renewed investigations upon a subject that already appeared 

 to be all but exhausted. 



I shall be extremely obliged for any communications, or illus- 

 trative examples, from such of your correspondents as may kindly 

 favour me with them, more especially with specimens collected 

 in Scotland or in the northern or central portions of Europe. — 

 Yours respectfully, J. B. Wood. 



Broughton, Manchester, Oct. 20th, 1860. 



In the investigation of the above subject, I have thought it 

 unnecessary to allude to the descriptions and definitions of the 

 plant as met with in authors previous to the commencement 

 of the present century, for they are so vague and indefinite in 

 general, that but little reliance can be attached to them or any 

 useful ideas derived from them, which might in any way facili- 

 tate the inquiry or throw light upon it. I shall therefore com- 

 mence with the description of the species as we meet with it in 

 Smith's Eng. Bot., and afterwards trace its history, more or less, 

 to the present time. In that excellent work it is described as 

 follows : — 



"Orth. ANOMALUM, Eug, Bot. t. 1423. — Sp. Char. Stem 

 branched ; leaves lanceolate, keeled, and revolute. Fringe simple. 

 Veil hairy, toothed. — Syn. 0. anomalum, Sm. Fl. Brit. 1267; 

 Hedwig, Sp. Muse. 162, Crypt, vol. ii. 102, t. 37; Dicks. 

 Crypt, fascic. 4, 6; Turner, Muse. Hib. 94. 



" Not rare on old buildings and stones, bearing fruit in Feb. 

 and March. 



