14 PROSERPINA. 



general notion of a moss, — that it has a fine fibrous 

 root, — a stem surrounded with spirally set leaves, 

 — and produces its fruit in a small case, under 

 a cap. I fasten especially, however, on a sentence 

 of Louis Figuier's, about the particular species, 

 Hypnum : — 



" These mosses, which often form little islets 

 of verdure at the feet of poplars and willows, 

 are robust vegetable organisms, which do not 

 decay." * 



3. " Qui ne pourrissent point." What do they do 

 with themselves, then ? — it immediately occurs to 

 me to ask. And, secondly, — If this immortality 

 belongs to the Hypnum only? 



It certainly does not, by any means : but, how- 

 ever modified or limited, this immortality is the 

 first thing we ought to take note of in the mosses. 

 They are, in some degree, what the ' everlasting ' 

 is in flowers. Those minute green leaves of theirs 

 do not decay, nor fall. 



But how do they die, or how stop growing, 

 then ? — it is the first thing I want to know about 

 them. And from all the books in the house, I 

 can't as yet find out this. Meanwhile I will look 

 at the leaves themselves. 



4. Going out to the garden, I bring in a bit of 

 * " Histoire des Plantes." Ed. 1865, p. 416. 



