310 DAVID BRYCE ON 



disposition of the spines. I have not so far been able to find 

 recorded any variety so nearly without spines as that now 

 described. 



The other form belongs undoubtedly to the Ploimid genus 

 Encentrum, one of the most interesting genera of the family of 

 the Notommatidae. It was only after much search that I found 

 that a form which agrees with it in the most important details 

 had been found in the Antarctic and described and figured by 

 Murray in the Eeport (6) already cited. As his study of the 

 individuals seen was incomplete he did not name the species, 

 but contented himself with assigning it to the genus Pleuro- 

 trocha. It is not included in the list of sixteen species recognised 

 or named by him. 



Mr. C. S. Elton, who personally collected the mosses examined, 

 has furnished me with some particulars of the three localities 

 where the various collections were made and of the actual posi- 

 tions of growth, and further, with the names of the mosses 

 which have been identified by Mr. H. N. Dixon. 



The latitude of all three localities is between 78° and 79° N. 



Prince Charles Foreland : a long island ofi the west coast 

 of West Spitsbergen. Freshwater Bay, where the collections were 

 made, is on the N.E. side of the island. Here are steep moun- 

 tains with a narrow coast-belt of flat, rocky or shingly ground ; 

 the mosses were from this region (raised beach by Point Car- 

 michael) and from the foot-hills (Glen Mackenzie). 



Mosses collected early July, 1921. 



Z 1. Rhacomitrium lanuginosum Brid. 



From bare and very dry shingle. 

 Z 2. Hypnum uncinatum Hedw. 

 Polytrichum alpinum L. 



From sandy area, over shingle. 

 Z 3. Dicranum groenlandiciim Brid. 



Dry tundra. 

 Z 4. Rhacomitrium canescens Brid., var. ericoides B. & S. 



From dry scree slope. 



The five species of Rotifera obtained from these four gatherings 

 were all present in the Z 1 collection, but in very small num- 

 bers, and I revived only isolated examples of the first two 



