I860.] ORTHOTRICHUM ANOMALUM. 357 



actual number of ribs is made to depend the character by which 

 this species is most obviously and easily recognized from 0. cu- 

 pulatum. The peristome can hardly be said to be " white" it is 

 rather of a pale buff-colour, but the form and geminate character 

 of the teeth are correctly given. Having no copy of Hook, and 

 Tayl. Muse. Brit, at hand, to which I can refer, but where, how- 

 ever, the species is described in nearly similar terms, I proceed 

 to notice the description as more recently given of it in Bry. Brit., 

 and which is by far the most carefully drawn up and most correct 

 and intelligible of any that had previously been written in our 

 language. In this description the capsule is described as having 

 uniformly only eight ribs, and upon this circumstance is based 

 the second subdivision of the first section of the genus, viz. 

 " Capsule with eight ribs," as distinguishing it from the first, 

 which has sixteen. This particular feature has always been re- 

 garded as the grand and essential distinction by which the species 

 could be recognized, it being the most salient and obvious cha- 

 racter for that purpose, but from the other species, it is however, 

 kept widely apart by many differences both in form and structure. 

 In all British specimens that have hitherto fallen in my way, with 

 one or two exceptions shortly to be noticed, this feature of eight 

 ribs on the capsule has been found, so far as I know, uniform and 

 constant, and upon it one of the most important characters of the 

 species has been founded, as already noticed. 



Bruch and Schimper, the illustrious authors of the magnificent 

 ' Bryologia Europsea,' the paragon of all books on the subject of 

 which it treats, and whose marvellous accuracy of observation 

 and minuteness of detail none will feel disposed to question, un- 

 hesitatingly describe this Moss with sixteen strise or ribs on the 

 capsule; and this character is again repeated in the admirable 

 Syn. Muscor. Eur. of Professor Schimper, just issued from the 

 press. In addition to this are other points of diflerence, essentially 

 at variance with the generally recognized characters of the species 

 as hitherto understood in this country, more especially in the form 

 of the capsule and structure of the peristome. But lest there 

 should be any misconceptions regarding it, I have translated for 

 the benefit of your readers, to enable them to compare it with 

 the descriptions already extant, the one given in the work above 

 quoted. — 



" O. ANOMALUM, Bry. Eur. — Stem nearly simple, erect; leaves 



