i860.] ORTHOTRICHUM ANOMALUM. 365 



eight divisions, the teeth very unlike those of 0. cupulatuni both 

 in composition and in texture. This will suffice at present to 

 show that the question is full of difficulty. 



" As to O. nudum of Eng. Bot., cited by B. and S. as their 

 variety 7 riparium of 0. ciqmlatum, Turner's herbarium shows 

 it to be 0. Sprucei, and I can well believe that the figure in Eng. 

 Bot; was taken (badly) from that species. Smith was not the 

 man to be very nice in discrimination, and was one of the people 

 complimented by Bridel in Bry. Univer. thus: — "Britannis qui- 

 bus affinitates clarius elucent^ quam discrimina ;" consequently O. 

 sti'angulatum could not have fair play in this country, but was 

 undeservedly suppressed, or strangled outright, whereat Schimper 

 must now smile, for he is in the same mess deliberately. Let us 

 therefore avoid, if possible, making a similar hash. It seems at 

 present as if there really were an intermediate species referable 

 to 0. strangidatum. If not, we may begin to doubt whether the 

 bouudary line between 0. cupulatum and 0. anomalumi^ as well 

 defined as bryologists have laid it down, in respect to the peri- 

 stome, etc. 



" I remember being bothered with the Conway Castle speci- 

 mens before, but at a time when I could not comfortably go 

 into the subject, and so left it unsettled. I am not sorry that 

 you have brought it again under review, for it deserves investi- 

 gation, and we, I think, are the very people to take it up, and this 

 is the time to do it. For my part, I must study and examine 

 much more before I can come to a safe and satisfactory conclusion. 



" Bridel and Hook, and Tayl. charge Hedwig with giving the 

 peristome of 0. cupulatum for that of 0. anomalum, in the 

 Stirpes, vol. ii. t. 37, after having correctly given the true pei'i- 

 stome of 0. anomalum in Frond. Muse. Probably there really 

 was a jumble on the part of Hedwig, 



" The Aberdour specimens difi'er from the Conway Castle spe- 

 cimens in the red peristome, etc., and perhaps also in the greater 

 strangidation of the fully ripe capsule, but my Conway specimens 

 were gathered too soon (April) to decide this point. 



" I believe that we have an Orthotrichum [called or united 

 with 0. anomalum) which preserves an eight-striate capsule under 

 all circumstances, and which may be distinct from the species given 

 in Bry. Eur., and it will be strange enough if this does not esta- 

 blish its claims (first named by Hook, and Tayl.) to be called the 

 veritable O. anomalum. 



