VI PREFACE. 



Thougli Mosses are among the minuter and seemingly in- 

 signiticant of Nature^s works, they, in common with other 

 Cryptogam ic forms of vegetation, deserve a share of atten- 

 tion from even those who may not make them objects of 

 scientific study. In this section of tlie botanical field, the 

 late Mr. "W, Gardiner, of Dundee, is the only British Mus- 

 cologist who has treated of Mosses in a popular style ; and 

 it is gratifying to know that his ' Lessons on British Mosses ' 

 have been so highly approved as to have ah'eady gone 

 through several editions. He truly says, in the preface to 

 his work, that " this very beautiful and interesting portion 

 of Nature's works is calculated to open up an ample source 

 of innocent and rational amusement, and a thirst for that 

 kind of knowledge which enlarges and purifies the heart." 

 It is almost superfluous to refer to the elaborate details of 

 Sir W.J.Hooker's second volume of the 'British Flora' (from 

 which most of the generic and specific characters employed 

 in this work are taken), which has greatly increased the 

 number of students of Muscology. 



The following work aims at taking a medium place, and 



