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The Museum Gazette 



lichens as Lecidea geographica probably date from almost fabulous 

 periods, and even small patches are often of considerable age. 

 I have myself watched individuals for twenty-five years, 

 which are now much in the same condition as they were when 

 they first attracted my notice. Plants which endure without 

 injury such extremes of temperature and conditions of the 

 Hygrometer would seem, a prion, to be likely to have great 

 powers of longevity." 



NOTES ON MOSSES AND HEPATICS. 



(Kindly contributed by the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield). 



The months of March and April are among the best for 

 collecting the mosses and hepaticae, many of which are then in 

 "fruit." The smaller mosses'generally " fruit " freely, and it is 

 very interesting to observe the great variations in the peri- 

 stomes, which, in many cases, are very beautiful ; the leaves, 

 also, are well worthy of examination, for they vary greatly, 

 and are interesting objects for the microscope. A good lens 

 will show them fairly well, but a low power of the compound 

 microscope will be found to be preferable. One advantage of 

 thus examining them is that, although the observer may not 

 be able to identify any of the species, yet he will have no 

 difficulty in finding many objects of great interest, even in 

 the commonest, many of which abound on walls, garden 

 paths, banks, trees, &c. 



The hepatics are not so easily found, neither do they present 

 so many objects of interest to the general observer. The 

 "fruit" is the same in almost all the species, a succulent stalk 

 bears a globular spore case which bursts and the spores 

 are dispersed. Among the spores are very curious spiral 

 filaments, called elaters, which will interest the observer ; 

 they appear to assist in the dissemination of the spores, thus 

 fulfilling the function of the peristome in the mosses. 



