MOSS HABITATS. 45 



leaves ; leaf-cells quadrate, slightly papillose ; spores slightly 

 roughened. 



Sphtzrangium muticum is much more rare, occurs in sandy 

 and marly fields in dark-green or brownish tufts, looking to 

 the unassisted eye like small tufts of minute bulbs. It is 

 more minute than the last, and has broad, roundish, con- 

 cave leaves, not keeled, but rounded on the back, the nerve 

 rarely reaching the leaf-tip, and the leaves are usually 

 slightly toothed in their upper part, and have plane margins ; 

 the capsule is round, and quite hidden among the upper 

 leaves ; the spores pale, roundish, smooth ; leaf-cells large. 

 In good fruit, March or April. 



Ephemerum serratum occurs most abundantly in marly 

 fields, but may also be found in sandy ones, and looks to 

 the unassisted eye like a little patch of green conferva ; the 

 lens will, however, show the small reddish-brown sessile 

 capsules, surrounded by the narrow lance-shaped, slightly 

 toothed leaves ; the leaves are nerveless, light-green, with 

 transparent longish leaf-cells ; spores yellow, globose, 

 slightly roughened. In this moss the protonema (fig. 3, 

 i b) continues throughout the lifetime of the moss; and 

 hence, in a single specimen under the microscope, the life- 

 history of a moss may often be seen the protonema, young 

 buds, perfect plant, and capsule bearing the spores. Fruit, 

 October to April. 



Archidium phascoides I have rarely found in fields, but it 

 does occur occasionally in marly fallow fields ; it is very 

 minute, and requires close searching, and as the capsule is 

 very small may often be passed over as a mere barren tuft 

 of Dicranella varia. It may, however, be known by its 

 round capsules and strongly nerved leaves, and by its giving 

 off lateral, sterile, whip-shaped shoots from the fertile stem. 



Pottia minutula I find not unfrequent in marly fields, in 

 small, brownish-green tufts. The stem is very short, the 

 leaves oblong, lance-shaped, tapering to the point, slightly 

 overlapping and spreading when moist, erect when dry, 

 margin much recurved ; capsule on a short fruit-stalk ; 

 mouth naked, i.e. without a fringe ; lid large, conical ; leaf- 

 cells quadrate. 



