305 



Ct]c 2Tiosscs of Hortt^umbcrlanb. 



By H. N. Dixon, M.A., F.L.S. (Hon. Member, 



Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club; Hon. 



Sec, Northamptonshire Natural History 



Society, Northampton. 



During a short visit to Northumberland in the summer 

 of 1905, I noted down the Mosses I came across in both 

 divisions of the county, following the Watsonian vice-county 

 distribution, viz.. South Northumberland and Cheviotland. A 

 few days only were devoted to a more particular search for 

 Mosses than the circumstances of my visit would in general 

 permit. 



As no attempt has been made hitherto to record the dis- 

 tribution of Mosses in these two vice-counties, it seems worth 

 while to draw up iists. The late Dr Hardy's admirable Moss 

 Flora of the Eastern Borders (History of the Berwickshire 

 Naturalists' Club, 1868) is only partially serviceable for the 

 purpose of vice-comital distribution, since its area covers several 

 of the Border counties, and these are not specified in the 

 case of the most common species. It embodies the records 

 in Thompson's "Catalogue of Plants growing in the Vicinity 

 of Berwick-upon-Tweed" (1807), a fair number of which are 

 localised and fall within our V.C. 68, and one or two other 

 lists are quoted. Dr Johnston's "Natural History of the 

 Eastern Borders" (1853) is unfortunately almost unavailable 

 for our purpose, as, though 154 Mosses are named, they are 

 all unlocalised with the exception of some half-dozen species. 



Dr Hardy's Moss Flora gives about 180 species for V.C. 

 68, an excellent list, considering the date at which it was 

 compiled, and taking into account the fact that this excludes 

 a number of the commonest species which are unlocalised. 

 Since that date scarcely anything appears to have been pub- 

 lished. I have searched the volumes of the History of the 



