Stewart— List of Mosses of North-East of Ireland. 43 



With regard to the arrangement here followed, nothing has been attempted 

 in the way of classification. That is a work much needed, and which I hope 

 to see performed ere long by some of our leading bryologists, armed with an 

 authority which shall make his arrangement permanent. The sequence followed 

 here is that of the recent Synopsis of the British Mosses, by Mr. Hobkirk, but 

 I have thought fit to invert the order, commencing this list where it has been 

 the more common practice to end. This seems to be justified by the method 

 of phanerogamic botanists, who commence with the higher forms and end with 

 the lower. Whether right or wrong in this plan, at any rate no inconvenience 

 will be caused, as it is as easy to read a list backwards as forwards. 



The habitats here assigned to the different species, and the times of fruit- 

 ing, are not copied from any other work, but are deduced from my own obser- 

 vation, extending over a period of eleven years, during which time these par- 

 ticulars have been carefully noted. In all cases in which I have not sufficien t 

 information I have omitted them. The numbers appended refer to the months 

 during which fully formed capsules may be found, and until they commence to 

 wither. 



It now only remains to express my thanks to the kind friends who have 

 given assistance in this work. And first to Mr. Charles P. Hobkirk, of Hud- 

 dersfield, who, animated by that freemasonry which pervades real naturalists, 

 undertook for me, a total stranger, the arduous labour of microscopically ex- 

 amining my plants, and confirming or correcting the names I had attached to 

 them. I owe to that gentleman's acuteness the detection amongst my speci- 

 mens of two rare British mosses, not previously observed in Ireland — viz., 

 Pottia littoralis and Zygodon rupestris, with some other rare species which I 

 had overlooked. I am also much indebted to Dr. David Moore, F.L. S., 

 M.R.I. A., Dublin, for directing my attention to the collection of Antrim 

 mosses in the herbarium of Royal College of Science, Dublin, and for kindly 

 securing me the privilege of examining the specimens and noting localities. 

 Dr. Mocre, who occupies the leading place amongst Irish bryologists, has 

 cheerfully facilitated this work, by advice on doubtful points, and by the com- 

 munication of authentic specimens. I am also under deep obligations to the 

 Rev. John Fergusson, Forfarshire, who assisted me with specimens, and helped 

 me over many of my early difficulties. Without such help and encouragement 

 it is probable this work would not have been persevered with. 



I have also been favoured with the assistance of Mr. J. H. Davies, of 

 Glenmore, Lisbum, who, with the greatest liberality, placed at my disposal 

 t he whole of his very large collection of mosses, which are intended for the 

 Museum herbarium, and which will go very far to form a complete British 

 series. Mr. J. Creeth, of Belfast, kindly favoured me with an inspection of a 

 good collection of mosses made by him in the vicinity of Lisburn, and which 

 included some plants I had not myself met with. 



