MOSSES AND LICHENS. 227 



" It drinks heaven's dew as blithe as rose 

 That in the King's own garden grows.'' 



It has indeed a great capacity for moisture, rain, snow 

 and dew, which appears to be the only food of the 

 mosses that grow on desert lands. There is the tiny 

 Bryum argenteum, and others of the same genus, which 

 take possession of the least inviting soil, slate roofs, dry 

 thatch, sapless wood and hard clay banks where nothing 

 " else will grow. 



All the species of this family are not so small. Some 

 are conspicuous for their fine coloring, such as the 

 Bryum roseum, one not uncommonly met with in the 

 forest. Clusters of these may be found deeply nested 

 in old decayed logs among a variety of Hypnums and 

 Dicranums. Their deep green leafy rosettes, in shape 

 like miniature roses, form a decided contrast to the 

 sister mosses and grey lichens, and if it chance to be the 

 fruiting season, there is an added charm in the varied 

 colors ; for rising from the cap-like centre of the crown 

 of the plant are from three to five hair-like stems about 

 an inch in height, of a reddish color, almost semi- 

 transparent, bearing a capsule blunt on the apex and a 

 little curved downward at the neck. This cap is orange- 

 red, and looks as if it were a chalice filled to the brim 

 with some choice wine or amber-tinted fluid. 



This curious vessel is closely sealed by a lid which, 

 when the contents are ripe, is lifted and the fine seed or 

 sporules are poured out. This fruitful Bryum is sexsile, 



