34 



CHAPTER VII. 



ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MOSSES. 



We have already seen that the distribution of particular spe- 

 cies of Mosses in a given area depends greatly upon soil and al- 

 titude. When latitude is taken into consideration, conditions 

 will be modified ; but within reasonable limits, like circum - 

 stances will encourage the growth of the same or similar 

 Mosses. Comparing the Bryology of the British Isles with 

 that of Europe taken as a whole, we find a very large propor- 

 tion of Continental species diffused amongst them ; a very few 

 genera only being unrepresented ; while notwithstanding the 

 labours of British Bryologists, there are scarcely half-a-dozen 

 of our Mosses which have not been found on the Continent.* 

 The times of bearing fruit will differ in different localities ; 

 but the characters agree wonderfully with those of the Conti- 

 nental specimens, or where they differ, do not differ more than 

 Continental specimens do from each other. 



* About 280 species out of 716, according to Schiinper's enumeration, occur 

 on the Continent which do not occur in the British Isles. The following Con- 

 tinental genera do not occur in our Flora : — Voitia, Sporledera, Bruchia, Tre- 

 matodon, Angstrmmia, Conomitrmm, Phwromitrium, JEustichimn, Braunia, Cos- 

 cinodon, Pyranddula, Oreas, Psilopilum, Fdbronia, Anacamptodon, Habrodon, 

 Lescurcea, Anisodon, Blatygyrwm, Thedenia; most of which contain only a single 

 species, and of which the seyen last are Pleurocarpous, the reBt Acrocarpous. 



