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is covered with a little hood, shaped like an extinguisher, which 

 defends it from the injury of the wet. Under this there is 

 found another cap, serving as a cover, and preventing the seed 

 from falling out. This being removed there is seen around the 

 top of the capsule, a certain number of most beautifully -formed 

 and brilliantly- colored teeth, either single or in pairs, at first 

 standing across the mouth, but afterwards spreading out from 

 the rim like a star, and yet too small to be seen by the naked 

 eye. It is from these chiefly that the Mosses are divided into 

 genera. It is a very remarkable fact, that the number of teeth 

 is always four or sixteen, or thirty-two, or sixty-four, and 

 never any of the numbers between. 



A, a terminal fruited Moss Orthotrichum crispum. B, capsule of the 

 same magnified, showing eight outer and eight inner teeth. C, calyptra, 

 D, lid both belonging to the same. E, a lateral fruited Moss, Dicranum 

 adiantoides. F, capsule and lid belonging to it. G, Calyptra. H, peri- 

 chaetial leaves, that is, leaves around the fruit stem. 



The Mosses flourish chiefly in that season when all the 

 flowering plants are taking their Winter's rest. Then, amid 

 frost and snow, we may discover most of these little objects, 

 flourishing upon the walls upon the bark of trees and upon 

 the otherwise barren ground. 



The most common Mosses are the BOG Moss, (Sphagnum,) 

 the stem of which grows very long, with white leaves it is 

 found in Summer. EARTH Moss, (Phascum,) found on 

 barren ground in the Winter it is exceedingly small, not a 

 quarter of an inch high altogether. Some of the BEARDLESS 

 MOSSES, (Gymnostomum,) are often found on walls, not on 

 the ground. These grow in tufts, with abundance of capsules, 

 which have no teeth around the top of them. The Grimmia 

 pulvinata grows on walls, and looks like a little hairy pin- 

 cushion, with capsules scattered about it, the mouth of each of 



