GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MOSSES. 73 



restricted to Europe and Madeira ; the genus is, however, 

 represented in South America and New Zealand. 



Dawsonia superba, a magnificent and remarkable species, 

 is at present only recorded from New Zealand.* 



Many interesting facts will be revealed to us if we care- 

 fully compare the moss floras of contiguous and remote 

 districts. Thus, comparing the moss flora of Great Britain 

 with that of the Continent of Europe, we find that out 

 of about 900 species recorded in Schimper's " Synopsis 

 Muscorum Europseorum," Edition 2, we have 570 species 

 recorded from the British Islands, and that there are about 

 325 species recorded from the Continent that have not as 

 yet been found in these islands ; whilst, on the other hand, 

 notwithstanding the minute researches of our own bry- 

 ologists, we have as yet only had about 16 species recorded 

 from the British Islands that have not as yet been found 

 on the Continent proper. But here it must be notified that 

 some of these species are very minute, and may have been 

 over-looked; whilst others are distinguished by minute 

 differences that may not be considered sufficiently impor- 

 tant to deserve specific distinction by foreign botanists. 

 The most remarkable matter, however, is, that we have not 

 only distinct species, but also distinct genera, as, for in- 

 stance : 



Streptopogon gemmascens, " recorded from Surrey and not 

 occurring on the Continent, but represented by seven species 

 in the Andes, in the Himalayas, and three in the South 

 Temperate zone." 



Daltonia splachnoides, " recorded from Ireland, not found 

 on the Continent, a genus having seventeen species in the 

 Andes, two in Mexico, one in the Galapagos, six in India 

 and Ceylon, five in Java, two in Africa, and three in the 

 Antarctic Islands." 



Hookeria, " which is a large genus of fine mosses, having 

 representatives in the Andes, Brazil, Mexico, Pacific Islands, 

 New Zealand, Java, India, Africa, Madeira, Cornwall, and 

 Ireland, but in no part of Europe proper." * 



* "Island Life." A. Russell Wallace. 



