moniana fruits freely on the ground under its protecting branches. Bryum 

 orgenteum occurs between and near the bushes, — it does not produce capsules. 



It was my good fortune to find a little tuft of Ptet ygoneurum cavifolium 

 (Ehrh.) Jur. The long white hair-points of the leaves form a mesh, like a spider 

 web, close to the ground. It must occur universally throughout our arid country, 

 as I collected it a number of years ago at Blackfoot, Idaho, where it grew near 

 the railway track. I also found Grimmia ienerrima R. & C. It grows plenti- 

 fully everywhere on the basalt. This bit, however, I found on the soil. It 

 was unquestionably out of its habitat 



As I review the experience, it is brought home to me what a wonderfully 

 good time I had those two hot afternoons ot my holiday spent in investigating 

 Desert bryology. 



Seattle, Wash. 



SOME RARE MOSSES FROM NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA 



Edwin B. Bartram 



Jn the extreme northeastern corner of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, 

 the Delaware River bends sharply to the east, below Bushkill, along the base of 

 a series of limestone ledges and cliffs locally known as "Indian Rock." The 

 exposure being almost due north and the densely wooded slopes steep or even 

 vertical and overhanging in places, an ideal sanctuary seems to have been formed 

 for many rare species of mosses, particularly of the calciphilous types. 



Since Didymodon rubellus (Hoffm.) B. & S. has not been definitely reported 

 Irom Pennsylvania before, it is interesting to note its abundance here and on 

 similar ledges several miles farther north in Sussex County, New Jersey, where 

 it is really one of the characteristic plants. The capsules seem to be fully formed 

 in June but are not ripe and deoperculate until August. Sterile colonies are 

 readily distinguished in the field, however, by the bright rufous color of the 

 lower portion of the plants. Associated with the foregoing on some of the drier • 

 ledges and maturing its spores at about the same time, or maybe a trifle earlier, 

 is Distichium capillaceum B. & S., while within arm's length a vigorous colony 

 of Encalypta ciliata (Hedw.) Hoffm. helps to confirm the feeling that this is, 

 indeed, a favored locality. 



Nearer the river-level, where the rock faces are moister, dark olive-green 

 tufts of Blindia acuta (Huds.) B. & S. contrast strongly with the surrounding 

 mosses and particularly with some feathery yellowish cushions of Dicrandla 

 Schreberi (Sw.) Schimp. in the nearby crevices. The drier and more exposed 

 pockets of the same rocks are carpeted with Oreoweisia serrulata (Funck.) DeNot., 

 but, unfortunately, this distinguished trio have proved to be utterly sterile, or 

 at least so during the present season. 



A nearly vertical wall of limestone, thirty feet or more high and at least a 

 quarter of a mile long, proves to be as productive as it looks, for, besides Gym- 

 nostomum curviroslre (Ehrh.) Hedw. and G. rupestre Schleich, the clefts show 

 here and there vigorous colonies of Pohlia cruda (L.) Lindb., easily recognized 



