258 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



question. After a few turns, in which I entirely 

 forgot the North-east wind, he said, " There is 

 no place, my little Bertha, that does not present 

 some objects of interest to those who choose to 

 open their eyes. For instance, even on this 

 rough ditch, and on the old wall that joins it, 

 you may see a curious variety of vegetation, 

 which your finest embroidery cannot equal. 

 Look at those mosses ; they are among the 

 meanest plants, yet there is not one that is not 

 worth examining. The fructification is still to be 

 seen on that tuft of bearded thread moss. Take 

 your little magnifying glass and look at the cup 

 which is so delicate, and yet so firm, its edge 

 strengthened by that finely toothed ring, to 

 which the slender conical lid is exactly fitted ; 

 its pointed top, you see, serves to attach that 

 little shining scaly membrane, which is the 

 principal defence of the flower and seed from the 

 weather, and which is called the veil or Ca- 

 lyptra. 



" Now, Bertha, look at this silver thread moss, 

 here on the walk, with its diminutive leaves so 

 closely pressed to the stem as to be hardly vi- 

 sible ; it is now quite green, but in some weeks 

 it will become of a shining silvery white, espe- 

 cially when dry; and this circumstance dis- 

 tinguishes it from all other mosses." 



I asked him the name of the moss that is 

 so common on the roots of the trees, creeping 



