202 WINTER SKETCHES. 



ers that such plants have. The season of blos- 

 soming varies greatly in the different species. 

 Some blossom in Winter, in favorable situations, 

 as these cushion mosses have. Some tufts are 

 always in blossom and have the fruit cases in dif- 

 ferent stages of development, but the majority of 

 them flower either in the Summer or Autumn. 

 Many of the mats, now bristling with dry stalks, 

 and pouring out their fruit on the ground, were in 

 flower six or seven months ago. That it should 

 require so long a time for this extremely minute 

 moss fruit to ripen, seems to be remarkable. 



If the attentive, discriminating rambler accepts 

 the invitation which these humble but cheerful 

 plants offer, he will be surprised to know how 

 many species will salute him, and impart to him 

 the various entertaining lessons in moss lore dur- 

 ing an ordinary woodland walk. Each kind takes 

 him by the button, as it were, and talks to him 

 privately of its special characters and peculiarities. 



On a willow trunk bending low over the stream 

 are some creeping mosses, 'which, superficially 

 considered, appear to be all alike, but really here 

 are two mats growing beside each other, that 

 belong to distantly related tribes. Close atten- 

 tion and a good magnifier are necessary, while 

 they converse with you in silent but potent lan- 

 guage about themselves. Says one: "Do you 

 notice, I wear my leaves in a different way from 



