197 



.rises a stem about an inch high, which soon spreads out at 

 the top like a little parasol. The edges of this soon break 

 into rays, which turn upwards, and then it looks like a mural 

 crown, or a many-pointed coronet. The most numerous tribes 

 however, are the Jungermannia of these we have about 

 seventy species, most of them rare one of them Junger- 

 mannia dilatata grows in large patches on trees, where in the 

 Winter time it is sure to be found in almost any old orchard 

 or wood. These plants are particularly worth notice for their 

 wonderful form. Though some of them are so small as to be 

 nearly invisible, yet every part is highly curious. The leaves 

 of some species are round, others square ; flat or cupped ; 

 entire or notched and toothed in various ways ; some are 

 winged, or horned, or forked; some shaped like a wedge, 

 others like a pair of pincers, others like a mitre, and some like 

 a cup. And the fruit vessel is as curious ; before it opens it 

 is round, when ripe it splits into a perfect cross, and lets out 

 its little round seeds attended by a number of threads like 

 springs, which flying out suddenly, scatter the seeds around. 

 A beautiful and wonderful contrivance for the preservation of 

 plants some of which are even too small for sight ; thus in the 

 lower and most minute tribes of creation we find displayed the 

 same care and the same wisdom that we witness in the structure 

 of the mightiest trees of the Eastern forest. 



LICHENS. LICHENES. 



1 23 4 



1. Reindeer Lichen, Claydonia rangiferina. 2. A Lichen, consisting of 

 specks only.Opegrapha scripta. 3, A Spreading Lichen, Lecidia murorum, 

 4. A Stalked Lichen, Scyphophorus pyxidatus, the Cup Lichen : each 

 kind showing its fruit. 



These are distributed over the whole surface of the globe, 

 from the hottest parts of the Tropics to the limit of perpetual 



