1035 



vations, and bearing the setae, and frequently the withered capsules, 

 of one or two preceding years, remaining upon the lower part of the 

 stem. Leaves all falcato - secvmd, lanceolate - acuminate, sharply 

 toothed in their upper half; nerve strong, reaching to the summit of 

 the leaf. Seta fi-equently, but not invariably, lateral from the inno- 

 vations. Capsule slightly inclined, globose (narrower and nioi'e curved 

 after the plant has been dried) ; lid conical. 



The capsules on my specimens, though fully grown, were too young 

 to afford a satisfactory analysis of the peristome ; neither was I so for- 

 tunate as to find the male flowers. In both the peristome and the 

 leaves of the perichsetia of the male flowers, characters are said to be 

 found. I found the latter in fine state on B. fontana [true], and can 

 verify Mr. Spruce's observations, as to the inner leaves of the perigo- 

 nia in that plant being " obtuse, with an abbreviated or obsolete 

 nerve;" the nerve in fact is scarcely discernible. In B. calcarea the 

 leaves are said to be " all acuminate and nerved throughout." 



The most apparent points of difference between this plant and the 

 true B. fontana, are to be found in the leaves being broader (ovato- 

 acuminate) and erecto-patent, imbricated on all sides (not at all se- 

 cund); the capsule in B. calcarea is also more decidedly globose, and 

 scarcely so inclined ; it is also less deeply furrowed, and the whole 

 plant is larger. These characters, and a glance at the figures, will, I 

 think, convince the most sceptical of the great difference between the 

 two plants. This difference is fully greater than between B. pomi- 

 formis and Halleriana or ithyphylla ; and if the characters are not 

 deemed suflScient to allow the plant to rank as a species, I am at a 

 loss to conceive how Andrsea nivalis is to be distinguished fi-om A. 

 Rothii, or Dicranum falcatum from D. Starkii. 



Is Bartramia falcata of " Hooker in Linn. Trans, ix. 317," (referred 

 to in the *Muscologia Britannica') the same as this ? I have not the 

 work at hand to refer to, but if it be the same, I suppose the name 

 will have to be changed. 



Polytrichum juniperinum . 



I am induced to send you the accompanying sketch {fig./, p. 1033) 

 of a specimen of Polytrichum juniperinum, which I found a few days 

 ago. It presents the curious appearance of two calyptrae being joined 

 together, so as to have the external appearance of one ; inter nail}/ how- 

 ever, as is shown at </, the calyptra appears distinctly two-celled, each 

 cell containing a theca ; so that there is not the least adhesion be- 



4s2 



