462 Retrospective Criticism. 
“« F’en the slight hare-bell raised its head, 
Elastic, from her airy tread,” 
is writing, I may remark, in English, and more attentive, probably, to the 
harmony of his verse than to the local name of his flower. — George John- 
ston. Berwick upon Tweed, March 17. 
Vicia lathyroides. — In the review of the Flora of Berwick, Vol. IL. p. 237., 
it is asserted that Vicia /athyrdides “ has hitherto been found only on the 
sands of the eastern counties ;” and, therefore, that our plant is probably 
either Z. angustifolia or some variety of V. sativa. The assertion of the 
reviewer is at variance with the testimony of the best authorities. Sir J. 
E. Smith appears to have found V. /athyrcides in the King’s Park at Edin- 
burgh (Lng. F1., iii. p. 223.), where it was originally detected by Dr. Par- 
sons. Dr. Greville, we infer, has gathered it in the same station (FV. Edin., 
p- 157.); and Hooker, and Borrer, and Arnott, botanists of the very first 
rank, have each of them found it in Scotland. (Hook, FV. Scot., p. 215.) 
From Smith’s account we must, I think, consider the character drawn 
from the seeds as the most important and discriminative, and in the speci- 
mens which we examined for the purpose of ascertaining the species, the 
seeds were very plainly square and granulated. Yn other respects our plant 
very closely resembles small varieties of V. sativa, from which it is, how- 
ever, readily distinguished by its small, inconspicuous, bluish-purple flowers ; 
a character not perhaps of much consequence, but which may call the 
attention of the young botanist to it. In all the wild varieties of V. sativa 
the flowers are large, reddish purple, and very pretty; not merely evident 
to the practised eye, but showing bravely among the short thick herbage in 
which they delight to grow. — Id. 
Shining Moss. — Sir, My remarks on this singularly brilliant vegetable, 
in your Magazine for September last (Vol. II. p.407.), being made from 
imperfect specimens, and under some degree of uncertainty whether the 
figure I gave was that of the true luminous object, it may be satisfactory to 
state, that a recent examination of fresh specimens, made under more 
favourable circumstances, and with a compound microscope, on the spot, 
has enabled me to speak with certainty, both as to its form and the cause 
of its extraordinary brilliancy. This is the more necessary, as a corre- 
spondent in your Number for March last (p. 152.) has suggested whether 
the light might not proceed from minute plants of Dicranum faxifolium. I 
have no doubt that “ the phosphorescent brilliancy” he describes is the 
same I have observed in Derbyshire; but it certainly could not proceed 
from this common moss, as its leaves are not reticulated. Has he not mis- 
taken for it the more rare Gymnéstomum osmundaceum (Schistdstega 
pennata Hooker), which I have found accompanying the shining moss in 
several neighbouring stations in Derbyshire ? 
The drawing which accompanied my former remarks is undoubtedly that 
of the true plant; but, being made from dried specimens subsequently 
moistened, the articulations of the fronds and innotations have too much 
of an oval or oblong shape. When examined fresh, they appear, under the 
microscope, perfectly globular, like so many minute beads threaded over 
every part of the plant, or like particles of spherical pollen linearly arranged 
into the form it bears, and their size is precisely that of the seeds of Gym- 
ndstomum pyriforme, which I had under the microscope at the same time. 
The innotations are occasionally cylindrical, without articulations, near the 
summit, such being, perhaps, in an early unformed state. The base, or cen- 
tral part of the plant, adheres horizontally to the loose sand, and consists 
ofa flat layer of closely congregated globules, from the outer edges of which 
issue the sprig-like divaricating branches. The central frondose mass of 
spherules escaped my observation last year in the dried specimens ; but the 
annexed sketches (fig. 115.), taken with the microscope from fresh plants, 
show their perfect form: a, an entire plant, highly magnified ; 4, a detached 
portion ; c, a separate branch, more highly magnified. 
