FIELD NOTES. 115 
MOSSES. 
Dicranum strictum Schleich.*—On December 12th last, 
I found a small patch of this elegant and rare moss on a fallen 
tree in Sunnydale, E. Morton, near Bingley. I understand 
from Mr. W. Ingham, to whom I am indebted for the verification 
of my specimen, that this is an addition to the Yorkshire flora. 
—Harorp E. Jounson, Bradford. 
Catoscopium nigritum Brid., in W. Yorks.—On Satur- 
day, January 30th, Mr. W. H. Burrell, F.L.S., and I were 
examining the small exposure of Silurian rocks near Gordale 
Beck on Malham Moor, and were pleased to see a tuft of the 
above moss in fine fruit. The place is an interesting one for 
Orthothecium rufescens (Stereodon) and Splachnum ampullaceum 
are found here. The only other known Yorkshire habitat for 
Catoscopium is in Teesdale, an interesting fact being that a 
flowering plant, the alpine bartsia, has the same restricted 
range, growing near the moss in both places. The moss was 
once erroneously reported for West Yorkshire, but the above 
is the first record.—C. A. CHEETHAM. 
Dicranum strictum in Yorkshire.—Dicranum strictum 
(D. viride of Braithwaite’s Moss Flora) is one of the few mosses 
which, as an indiginous species, has been questioned. It was 
first found in Staffordshire in 1864 on old wooden rails, and it has 
been suggested that possibly it had been introduced with the 
timber. It has since been detected in other parts of the county 
and also in Banffshire and near Edinborough, and now shows 
four vice-county numbers, as its range in the Moss census lists. 
Whilst on what might be termed a preliminary visit to Sawley, 
where the Union meet on their first excursion this year, in 
company with Messrs. Margerison and Sanderson, I had the 
pleasure of gathering a small tuft of this moss. I submitted 
it to Mr. H. N. Dixon, who kindly confirmed the identification. 
The Sawley High Moor, where it occurs, was planted about 
1860, and there is a possibility of the moss having been brought 
with the young plants, if so, it has evidently found the place 
suitable, existing there some fifty odd years. Another very 
rare moss, Buxbaumia aphylla was reported from this district 
and a note on it and at the same time a remark as to it being 
never since confirmed, will be found in both the West and North 
Riding floras. It is quite possible that B. aphylla might also 
be introduced with the trees, and if so it may still be refound 
there. If there is any fact in this theory for the introduction 
of mosses, is it not possible that there may be some surprises in 
store for other sections of the Union ; the wood in question is 
of very large extent, and has many interesting features for 
the general body of naturalists.—C. A. CHEETHAM. 
*It is remarkable that there should be two records of this rare moss 
within a fortnight.—ED. 
1915 Mar. 1, 
