(2) G. BRITTON. MUSGI AMERIC.E SliPTENTRlONALIS EXSICCATI. 477 



woi'thy of varietal rank, of L. immïltm. It simply makes a thircl sensé 

 in which the name bas been used, and only tends to confusion. 



N° 34. Coscinodon Renauldi Card. — We liave also stated 

 that this spccies is a synonym of C. Raid, Austin, which is wrongly 

 described in Lesquereux and James Manual. We hâve made this State- 

 ment, on the authority of M. Cardot himself, who bas seen authentic 

 spécimens which I sent bim from Austin's Herbarium, labelled in 

 Austin's own handwriting C. Baui, and which M. Cardot cites under 

 the original description of C. Eenauîdi. We bave recently figured and 

 described correct! y the type spécimens, so that tbere ought to be no 

 further misunderstanding in the matter. 



N" 44. Physcomitrium pyrif orme Brid. — M. Cardot claims 

 that we are mistaken in saying that P. pyriforme, Brid. does not occur 

 in North America. He cites N" 234 of Sull. & Lesq. Musci bor. Am. 

 ed. 2, as agreeing with European spécimens, stating that there is really 

 « no appréciable différence. » M. Cardot bas kindly sent us a portion of 

 bis spécimen of N° 234, above cited, and we bave compared it with 

 varions European exsiccatae. It differs from every one that we bave 

 examined in the characters we bave already indicated and we still 

 maintain that we bave seen no P. turhinatmn from Europe, nor any 

 P. jjyriforme from America. That both species vary is of course 

 admitted, it is only the novice, that expects ail spécimens to hold true 

 to type descriptions; but when the différences between mature spéci- 

 mens is so marked, that eveu a novice sees distinctions at first sight, we 

 see no reason for saying that « P. turbinatum is a regional race of 

 P. pyriforme. » Looked at from a geological standpoint, it is more 

 than probable that P. turbinatum is the parent of P. i)yriforme, and 

 when considered with the wide distribution and great ditferentiation 

 which the genus bas attented on this continent, it would seem to indicate 

 a greator âge and more local ditferentiation. That embryonic charac- 

 ters would show relationsbip under those circumstances, would natu- 

 rally follow, and hence we find young and immature spécimens of 

 P pyriforme, with blunt lid and imperfectly developed annulus. (N° 187 

 Husn. Musci Gall.) But the only fair comparison is between mature 

 spécimens, and we state agaiu, that we bave never seen an American 

 spécimen that agreed exactly with European ones. It may be of iuterest 

 in connection with this discussion to cite what Limpricht says in refe- 



