184 Miscellanies. 



Cornicularia lanata, Ach., is met with ; this plant does not appear to 

 have been observed by any American botanist. Its co-species, C. pu- 

 bescens, Ach., is to be seen on the same exposures, a fact at variance 

 with the testimony of Acharius and other botanists. 



Urceolaria scruposa, considered rare, is an inhabitant of the rocks, 

 and is a curious and well defined lichen. 



Of the doubtful genus Lepraria, two species have been detected, 

 viz. L. chlorina, on stone-walls, and L. latebrarum, of Halsey, on 

 bowlders, and a third doubtful one, supposed to be the L. virescsns. 



The large rocks afibrd the Endocarpum miniatum, and E. smarag- 

 dalum, while the curious E. Weberi is abundant in the brooks. Va- 

 riola'ria amara, Halsey and Ach., is abundant, its intense bitterness re- 

 sembling quinine. This has been supposed identical with V. faginea ; 

 but they are probably two different species, only to be distinguished by 

 minute characters. Of the Cetrariae, there are three of the four men- 

 tioned in Hitchcock's catalogue, viz. C. lacunosa, C. ciliaris, and C. 

 viridis. An interesting small Nephroma is somewhat abundant on 

 the faces of small sunken stones, in sunny exposures, which Mr. 

 Tuckerman supposes to be N. Helvetica, and identical with the plants 

 found by him in Newton. This also adds another new species to 

 Hitchcock's catalogue. Two species of Ramalina occur, viz. R. frax- 

 inea, R. polymorpha, the latter common on stone walls. The Borrera fur- 

 furacea is common on the branches of the pitch pine ; Acharius's varie- 

 ty denudata occurs with this species and can only be regarded as an 

 accidental variety in which the cilia of the apothecia are wanting. 

 A query whether the American species and the English are identical, 

 might be set on foot. Thus Hooker says — thallus, bright greenish 

 yellow, alike on both sides ; in the specimens found in Chelmsford^ 

 the under surface is white. Lecanora fulva, Schw., is common on 

 old elms and oaks. Evernia prunastri of Hitchcock's catalogue, or 

 what has been supposed to be this, has been found in company with 

 E. vulpina, which is very common. It has not a slight resemblance 

 to the Borrera furfuracea, and it is supposed that B. furfuracea was 

 intended by B. purpuracea, given as its synonym. The following is 

 the description of the Evernia prunastri ; thallo albo, pallescente, la- 

 cunis dichotomo-multifidis, erecto, adscendentibus lineari alternatis 

 planis rufoso lacunosis subtus subcuniculatis albissimis; apothecia disco 

 rufescente. 



Some interesting mosses have also been found, not inserted in Hitch- 

 cock's catalogue. A minute moss found by Edward Tuckerman, Jr. 

 on the summit of Bear Hill, Waltham, proves to be Weissia contro- 

 versa of the catalogue, and identical with W. viridula, Hedw., given 

 as distinct. Two species of Polytrichura and a supposed new one have 



