254 HISTORY OF BRITISH TERNS. 



becominor elevated on a short stalk. The scales are from 

 forty to fifty in number, and are of a pale-brown colour, 

 bearing numerous whitish spore-cases. 



The branched fertile stems have their sheaths smaller 

 than the simple fertile ones, but larger than the barren 

 ones. Several of the uppermost joints produce whorls of 

 branches, and the stem is terminated by a cone of fructi- 

 fication. In these cases, however, the number of branches 

 is less than that produced by the ordinary barren stems, 

 and the cone is smaller than those produced by the ordinary 

 fertile stems. 



The section of the stem of this species is very different 

 from that of any other, though having most resemblance to 

 those of E. arveiise and E. syhaticum. The exterior shows 

 a series of sharp ridges with angular furrows ; the central 

 cavity rather exceeds a third of the whole diameter ; the 

 cylinder of the stem is then pierced by three circles of 

 cavities — one of longish oblong openings opposite the 

 furrows, one of minute pores exterior to these and opposite 

 the ridges, and another of minute pores on their inner side 

 also opposite the ridges. 



Probably this species is tolerably plentiful in moist shady 

 woods, which are the situations it affects ; but it has as yet 



