i_ PREFACE. 



IV 



subject, but failing health and an early death brought his work to a 

 close. Meanwhile Prof. T. P. James rendered me valuable assistance 

 ^nd examined and determined many difficult species. 



On the publication of Lesquereux & James' Manual of North Ameri- 

 -can Mosses in 1884, I thought my difficulties were over, but with the 

 increase of knowledge came the increased difficulty of separating the 

 closely related species of Eastern Canada from those of the Eocky 

 Mountains and Pacific Coast. It soon became evident that although 

 this manual might be exhaustive for the United States, it was far 

 from being so for Canada. 



Up to 1885 I had, with the assistance of books and the above named 

 authorities, catalogued a large number of species, and it was then 

 decided to distribute sets of one hundred named Canadian mosses to 

 test the accuracy of these determinations. 



In 1857 I began to correspond with Professor Nils Conrad Kindberg, 

 Ph D the distinguished bryologist of the State College. Linkoepmg, 

 Sweden, and we at once saw the value of the discoveries that were 

 being made. With the greatest zest Dr. Kindberg entered into the 

 examination of the large series of specimens we had collected, and the ■ 

 determinations, descriptions and notes on the species are his with very 

 few exceptions. Di-. Carl Mueller, of Halle, the first authority among 

 living bryologists, assisted Dr. Kindberg and reference to his collec- 

 tion, the richest in the world, greatly facilitated the work. Dr. 

 Venturi has examined many specimens of the genus Orthotnchum, 

 while Dr. Warnstorf, of Neuruppin, Germany, has examined all the 

 specimens of Sphagnum, and it is from his determinations that the 

 species have been named, compiled and arranged. Messrs. Eenauld 

 and Cardot have also given valuable assistance. 



A duplicate of every specimen sent to Dr. Kindberg has been 

 mounted and placed in the herbarium of this department so that almost 

 every species, from each locality mentioned in the pages of the cata- 

 logue is represented in its Museum. 



The only lists published without the specimens referred to having 

 been examined are those of Mr. C. N. St. Cyr, Depai-tment of Public 

 Instruction, Quebec, Professor Alexander McKay, M.A., Dalhousie 

 College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and that of Professor James Fowler, 

 D.D., Queen's College, Kingston, Ont. ,, ^ ri 



In compiling the catalogue, Miquelon Island, Newfoundland, Green- 

 land and Alaska have been included so as to embrace all the known 

 northern species, and 1 trust the present catalogue may be usefu lor 

 reference and stimulate others to follow up the foundation now laid, 

 by additional works which will include the latest discoveries. 



