MOSSES. 35 
furnishing evidences of supreme intelligence, and 
wonderfully adapted not only to the objects to 
which it is applied, but also to the same or similar 
principles in the constitution of man’s mind. 
Fic. 1.=BRYUM SERPENS. 
(a) Veil. (6) Fringe. (c) Leaf. (d) Capsule with lid. (e) Stem. 
These teeth are highly sensitive to the changes 
of the weather, opening in sunshine, and closing 
during moist or rainy weather, for the obvious 
purpose of ripening the minute dust-like seeds with 
which the interior of the capsule is filled; and it 
is a remarkable circumstance that, in one or two 
genera of mosses which are not provided with 
hygrometric teeth, the lid that closes the capsule 
is permanent, being thrown off only when the 
seeds are ripe and ready to be dispersed. By 
placing a capsule, the teeth of which are closed, 
near the fire or in the warm sunshine, the teeth 
will be seen to open with a graceful and gradual 
