INTRODUCTION. xix 



in the West Indian Islands, from the excessive heat and drought, 

 produce comparatively but few Mosses ; yet the summits of the 

 Blue Mountains in Jamaica, afforded to a late eminent Botanist, 

 Dr. Swartz, an abundant harvest of these plants. Perhaps the 

 finest collection that ever was brought to this country by any 

 naturalist was made by our friend, Mr. Menzies, when on the 

 voyage of discovery, with Captain Vancouver, in New Zealand ; 

 a country subject to much moisture. In the South of Europe, 

 in France and Italy, there are but few Mosses in the plains ; 

 though those, in general, are highly curious ; but ascend to the 

 summits of the Apennines, the Alps and the Pyrenees, where fogs 

 and mists abound, and the Muscologist will be delighted with 

 their productions. So it is, in some measure, with Great Britain ; 

 but as we are exposed to more frequent rains, and have naturally 

 a more humid atmosphere, even in places of but little elevation, 

 we have every where a considerable number of Mosses ; and our 

 mountains are indeed very rich in them. The summits of the 

 loftiest Scottish mountains produce many extremely rare species, 

 at an elevation above the sea of from 3,000 to 4,300 feet. In the 

 Alps and the Pyrenees, on account of their more southern latitude, 

 in order to find the same species you must ascend nearly twice 

 that height, from 7, to 8,000 feet. The number of Mosses in- 

 habiting Great Britain, as already mentioned, is about 290 ; a 

 larger proportion, perhaps, than is to be seen upon a like extent 

 of country, in any part of Europe. 



The soil or substance on which Mosses grow is remarkable 

 in some individuals. One curious little plant is found only on the 

 perpendicular faces of the pure white chalk pits that abound so 

 much in Kent and Sussex. Some are confined to granite ; some 

 to calcareous rocks; one species, the Funaria hygrometrica, a 

 Moss that grows in all parts of the world, is almost sure to spring 

 up where any thing has been burned upon the ground ; and par- 

 ticularly where charcoal has been made, whence its French name 



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