74 Thirty-second Report on the State Museum. 



fallen away by decay, is uncertain. The principal features of the moss are rep- 

 resented in the accompanying illustration (Plate 3). 



I have never seen the moss in fruit, and am of the opinion that it rarely, if 

 ever, fruits in submerged situations. It is a noticeable fact, that it has occurred 

 in limestone regions only, and in water in which more or less lime is held in 

 solution. Any experiments in transplanting it in other waters would be more 

 likely to be successful, if this fact be kept in view ; still it is possible that it 

 might thrive in other waters. One of the mosses associated with it, at Caledo- 

 nia, frequently occurs in water free from lime. The pebbles and small stones 

 could be easily removed by taking them up bodily with the attached moss and 

 its occupants, and transporting them to the desired localities. If planted in 

 large streams, care should be taken to place them in still, shallow water, for in 

 streams of strong current and large volume, the smaller stones are rolled about 

 by the force of the current, so that mosses seldom acquire or retain a foot-hold 

 in such situations. 



The three other mosses associated with the preceding one, are Hypnum rus- 

 ciforme, the Ruscus-like moss, Hypnum ftlicinum, the fern-branched moss, 

 and Hypnum riparium, the river-bank moss. The first one has occurred in 

 our State, in rivulets in the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains. The second 

 has been found in many localities, but it prefers springy places and dripping 

 rocks in limestone districts. The third occurs everywhere, in swamps, water- 

 holes, and sluggish streams. The specimens of these were less in quantity than 

 of the other, from which I infer that they are not in unusual abundance there, 

 and probably their occurrence is of no special significance, sj 



