CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



INTRODUCTION, . . . . . . . .1 



CHAPTER I. MOSSES. 



Beauty of Mosses Classification Appearance Stems Roots 

 Leaves Harmonies of colours Spiral arrangement of leaves 

 Organs of fructification Antheridia, Pistilidia, and Phytozoa 

 Gemmse Proliferous mosses Power of regeneration General 

 diffusion Alpine mosses, and theory of their distribution Par- 

 ticular limitations of mosses Splachnum growing on animal sub- 

 stances Social character of mosses Bog-moss Historical and 

 personal associations Illustrations of the beauty of mosses 

 Uses in the economy of man and of nature Formation of peat 

 Liverworts Structure and peculiarities Lycopods Hygro- 

 metric properties of Selaginella Structure and fructification of 

 Club-mosses Uses Analogical affinity Geological facts con- 

 nected with Lycopods, ...... 21 



CHAPTER II. LICHENS. 



Viewed as {esthetic objects Diversity of forms Description and 

 associations of Written Lichen Hue and Gabet's Tree of Ten 

 Thousand Images Structure of lichens Peculiar modes of Re- 

 production Longevity Geograph ical distribution Lichen s of 

 Antarctic regions Belts of vegetation on Chimborazo Alpine 

 lichens Lichens as pioneers of all other plants Adaptations of 

 lichens to their circumstances Uses on trees Reindeer moss 

 Iceland moss Tripe de Roche associated with Franklin Manna 

 of Israelites Lecanora esculenta Medicinal properties Uses 

 in arts and manufactures Dye-lichens : Orchil, Cudbear, Perelle 

 Ruskin on lichens, . . . . . .61 



CHAPTER III. FRESH-WATER ALG^E. 



Importance of microscopic objects Interest of Confervse derived 

 from the element in which they live Forming the boundary line 

 between plants and animals Nature and structure of green 



