The Side-fruiting Mosses. 415 



This moss lias often been confounded with H. tamariscinum, 

 but its foliage is of a much paler hue, more closely muricated, 

 more acutely pointed, the capsules of a pale brown instead of 

 purplish red as in tamariscinum, and the lid short; whereas in 

 tamariscinum it is rostrate, with a long beak. The aspect and 

 season of fruiting, too, are different ; H. tamariscinum being 

 proliferous with innovations, the lower parts of which, as well 

 as of the stem, are bare of branches, and it ripens its capsules 

 in November. 



The ostrich-plume feather-moss, Hijpnum Orista-Gastrensis, 

 is a large and handsome species, fruiting in July and August, 

 and producing stems from three to four inches in length, closely 

 pectinated with crowded branches, about half an inch long, and 

 slightly recurved. The foliage is yellowish and glossy, the 

 stem-leaves are ovate acuminate, and circinnato-secund; those 

 of the branches lanceolate-acuminate, still more circinnate, dis- 

 tinctly plicate, and having a recurved margin and serrulated 

 apex. The perichastial leaves are erect, but striated. The cap- 

 sule is of a reddish brown, curved and cernuous, on a fruit- 

 stalk of more than an inch in length, and having a conical 

 pointed lid. 



This beautiful moss is a lover of mountainous districts; and, 

 though rare with us, is abundant in the fir forests of Switzer- 

 land ; it is also found plentifully in some localities in Scotland, 

 near Loch Awe, in Argyleshire ; and Ben Yoirlich, Hill of Kin- 

 noul, near Perth, Ben Lawers, etc., have been given as its 

 localities, and we have ourselves most unexpectedly met with 

 it on several parts of the Ootteswold range of hills in Gloucester- 

 shire. 



Another inhabitant of the mountain, where its shining 

 yellow flakes adorn the inclined faces of shady rocks, is the 

 elegant little Hijpnum demissum, or prostrate rock-feather- 

 moss, extensively spreading its prostrate filiform stems, which 

 are weak and flaccid, and all stretch out in one direction without 

 interlacement, and bearing but few branches, which are short, 

 slender, and of a reddish colour. The leaves are elliptic-lanceo- 

 late, entire, with a reflexed margin, loosely imbricated, slightly 

 spreading, somewhat secund upwards, and with narrow elon- 

 gated areolas. The perichsetial leaves are erect and lanceolate ; 

 the very slender fruit-stalk is smooth, reddish, and about half 

 an inch in length, bearing the small, horizontally cernuous, 

 pale brown capsule, whose lid has a long slender beak ; and the 

 capsule becomes contracted beneath the mouth in drying. 

 Oromagloun Mountain, near the Upper Lake of Killarney, and 

 near Glengariff, Ireland, also near Beddgelcrt, North Wales, 

 are given as its habitats. 



A fruiter in June and July is Hypnum incnrvatum, or the 



