PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 



It is not my desire that this little volume should be 

 looked upon as anything more than what is expressed in 

 the title, simply "A Synopsis op the British Mosses," 

 and as a kind of vade mecum to the working Bryologist, 

 as well as a guide to beginners. It is not altogether 

 an original work, nor yet is it a mere compilation, for 

 nearly every species has been carefully examined under 

 the microscope before being described, and then the 

 diagnoses compared with other works, principally that 

 great text-book of British Bryologists, Wilson's "Bryo- 

 logia Britannica." Besides this work, I have also 

 largely consulted, B,nd drawn from, Bruch and Schim- 

 per's " Bryologia Burop^a," Schimper's " Synopsis," 

 Dr. Mueller's " Synopsis," the Proceedings of the 

 Linnean Society, the Bulletins of the Eoyal Botanical 

 Societies of Prance and of Belgium ; and last, but not 

 least, the valuable papers recently contributed by Dr. 

 Braithwaite to " Journal of Botany," " Grevillea," and 

 the "Monthly Microscopical Journal," and also some 

 papers by Mr. Mitten in the first-named publication. 



In the general arrangement of the genera and species 

 I have mainly followed the " Bryologia Britannica," as 

 I did not consider myself justified in departing widely 

 from it, although many of our principal Muscologists 

 look upon it as very faulty; but I did not hold my 

 authority sufficient to alter what has become a classical 



