76 S CRYPTOGAiMIA MUSCl. 



the food or delight of men. Many of thern 

 ,.,, ; <■ crow on rocks 2nd barren places, and, rottin^r 

 . - 7 '^ •• away, afford ihe tnft principles of vegetation 

 ••: - ' to other plants, which could never ellc have 

 : taken root there. Others grow in bogs and 



jiiarihes, and, by continual increafe and decay, 

 fill up and convert them either into fertile paf- 

 tures, or into peat- bogs, the fource of inex« 

 haudible fuel to the polar regions. 

 They are applicable alio to many domeftic pur- 

 pofes : The Lyro-podiums are fome of them ufed 

 in dyii-.g of yain, and in medicine^ the Spbag- 

 ■/■mm and Pclytrichum furniili convenient beds 

 for the Lapianders ; the Uypniims are ufed in 

 tiling of houfes, ftopping crevices in walls, 

 packing up of brittle wares, and the roots of 

 plants for diftant conveyance. 

 To v.'hich m^y be added, that all in general con- 

 tribute entertainment and agreeable inftrudion 

 to the contemplative mind of the Naturalift, at 

 a feafon v^hen few other plants offer themfelve^ 

 10 his v:ev/. 



ALG^, 



