32 Boston Journal of Natural History. 



near the axis, and not in the centre of the fascicle as in Echinocactus, and, 

 from their close proximity to the woolly head, were probably immersed in 

 the edge of it. Nuttall observes that they are seldom laterally clustered ; 

 there were, however, two young plants laterally attached to my specimen, 

 which I have removed ; and, although they are very dry, I shall take every 

 pains to revive them. 



" From this examination, it is clear that this plant will have to be restored 

 to the genus Melocaclus, in which Nuttall originally placed it. The native 

 name of the plant is Choyas." 



The study of the mosses, 'though hardly coming into the 

 province of the horticulturist, seems to be one of fascinating 

 mterest to the botanist. In its pursuit, may be found names 

 of great celebrity in Europe, Great Britain, and in this 

 country. Many of the most common species to be found in 

 this vicinity, are minutely and accurately described and fig- 

 ured in the works of Hedwig and Schwernitz, from actual 

 American specimens forwarded to Europe by Muhlenberg — a 

 German clergyman, who settled in Pennsylvania, and occu- 

 pied his leisure in the exploration of those rare and minuter 

 plants, and their accompanying orders, viz : the Lichens, 

 Fungi and Hepaticse. The American Cryptogamic botanist, 

 in order to detect, satisfactorily, species before described, 

 whether common to Europe and to this continent, as are 

 many; or those decided North American, as are several, 

 must have recourse not only to the standard European works 

 on the subject, but to those rarer and more costly ones, 

 which are only to be found in the hands of the lovers of this 

 branch of natural science, or in public libraries, and thus 

 difficult to consult; or, lastly, by direct importation of the 

 works in question, which is not always so readily done, 

 owing to their scarcity abroad. 



The climate of Massachusetts, so similar to that of Penn- 

 sylvania, in regard to these hardy denizens of mountain-top 

 and forest-shade, affords few, if any, that may not be de- 

 tected in the latter state ; while that, being more interior, 

 may possess some, which it could hardly be expected should 

 be found here. As we go farther west, we find more singu- 

 lar forms; and even in Ohio, have been accordingly discov- 

 ered new and remarkable species, of which wc may mention 

 Fissidens hyalina ( Wilson) and Fissidens obtusifolia {Will.) 

 discovered hv the late Thomas G. Lea, of Cincinnati — an 



