88 Dr. Taylor on two new species of British Jimgermannife. 



compose, assimilate and remove from the fair face of Natm-e, and 

 hence they have earned the not inappropriate, though inelegant, 

 appellation of " Nature's scavengers." This however is taking 

 but a very limited view of the powers and operation of fungi, since 

 the present inquiry proves that they have the ability to invade 

 and destroy the living vegetable fabric, and perhaps animal too ; 

 and this not merely while the vegetable is in a living state, but 

 while the functions of its life are in full and healthy operation. 

 Thus, in the operation of the fungi, as in most things, there is, as 

 regards man's welfare, a mixture of good and evd, of benefit and 

 disseri'ice ; the good result accruing to man, however, far out- 

 balancing the evil. 



Inquii-ies such as the present are peculiarly interesting, not 

 merely from their value in a scientific point of view, but from 

 the hope which they carry with them, amounting in this case 

 almost to a comiction, that ultimately they will be attended with 

 practical results. I hope that at no distant day a remedy will be 

 found for some of the evils occasionally resulting to the vegetable 

 world tlu'ough the instrumentality of fungi. 



XI. — On tivo new species of British Jungermannise. By Thomas 

 Taylor, M.D., Dunkerron, Kenmare*. 



JuNGERMANNiA EiPARiA, MSS. T. T. Caulc procumbeute, subra- 

 moso ; foliis subapproximatis, amplexicaulibus, oblongo-orbicu- 

 latis, concavis, integenimis : fructu terminaU ; calycibus obovatis, 

 apice plicatis. 

 Jung, pumila, Lind. Syn. Hep. p. 69. t. 2. (nee Witheringii). 

 Ad rivulorum umbrosorum ripas saxosas Hibernife, Britanniae atque 

 Germanicie, 



Cavles procumbentes ramosi, subimplexi atque subcespitosi, 1 — 2 

 unciales, luride virides. Folia subimbricata, basi amplexicauba, con- 

 cava subrotunda aut parum elongata, patula, integerrima, celluHs ma- 

 joribus. Perichcetialia majora, calycis dimidium inferius tegentia. 

 Calyces obovati seu oblongi, juniores etiam obtusi, apice pbcati, 

 plicis saspius octo. Pedicellus seraiuncialis. Capsula oblonga, qua- 

 drivalvis. Perigonia in rami medio sita vidi, ex foliis paucis, adpressis, 

 basi ventricosis, antheram solitariam tenentibus conflata. 



It is probable that the present species is extremely common, 

 and that it has long been confounded by others, as well as cer- 

 tainly by myself, with Ju77(/. ^mmila, With. The specimen col- 

 lected by me in the river Dayle in 1813, and quoted nndcv J. pu- 

 mila in ' The British Jungermannire,' belongs to the present. It 

 has been gathered long ago and carefully laid aside for further 

 examination by Dr. Greville : his specimens are from Breadalbane. 

 Again, Mr.AVilliam "Wilson found the plant near Bangor Ferry in 

 * Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



