54 A HALF-HOUR WITH THE 



which the plant is composed will be found deeper 

 yellow spots. If one of these is cut through, and a 

 thin section placed under the Microscope, it will be 

 found to possess very similar organs to the peziza. 

 A series of cases will be found, containing the 

 minute spores by means of which the plant is 

 reproduced. These cases, called asci, are figured 

 at 109. 



A walk across a damp uncultivated piece of ground 

 will not fail to reveal some spots which are boggy. 

 Here the bog-moss (Sphagnum) must be looked for, 

 and when found, it may be regarded as a good 

 illustration of the family of mosses, and portions 

 preserved for microscopic examination. The leaves 

 afford interesting examples of fibre-cellular tissue, 

 as seen at figure 110; and this tissue may be 

 examined from day to day, as affording an illus- 

 tration of the process of development in vegetable 

 tissue. Other forms of mosses may be found on 

 banks, old walls, rocks, and crevices. The organs 

 which produce the spores, or seeds, are well de- 

 serving the attention of the microscopic observer. 

 These represent the pistils in the higher plants. 

 The organs which represent the stamens are also 

 very interesting, but they are not so easily pro- 

 cured. "We therefore proceed to describe the 

 spore-bearing organ. This may be easily seen with 

 the naked eye, although its beauties cannot be 

 brought fully out without the aid of the Micro- 

 scope. The part which contains the spores is 

 seated on a little stalk, and is called the " urn," 

 and is represented in figure 112. Covering the 

 urn, and fitting on to it like a nightcap, is the 

 calyptra, marked a. On slipping off the calyptra, 

 a conical body fitting into the urn is observed, and 

 bins is called the "operculum." (b). If the operculum 

 is now lifted off, there is revealed, below, a series of 



