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that the tissues of the oophyte surrounding the foot, contained a quantity of 

 organic substance, and that large numbers of leucoplastids were developed 

 which served to absorb nourishment for the sporophyte. Sections through 

 the foot, seta and capsule, showed that the water and organic substances 

 were conveyed through the central tissue of the seta to the apophysis. 

 These cells contain little or no chlorophyll, but outside of them in the 

 expanded portions of the apophysis the cells are rich in chlorophyll, and on 

 the upper side of the "umbrellas" have even formed a "palisade-tissue" 

 similar to that developed in leaves of vascular plants. Furthermore there 

 are a number of stomata developed on the upper surface around the top of 

 the umbrella. It is evident then that the apophysis or umbrella, performs 

 the functions of a leaf, and is therefore analogous to the leaves of vascular 

 plants. That is, it is an organ of respiration and assimilation and large 

 quantities of starch are formed in it, especially while the apophysis is still 

 young and green at the beginning of the formation of the umbrella and 

 before the spores ripen. 



Unfortunately Mr. Vaizey died before his studies were completed so that 

 gaps remain in the life-history of this most highly developed and specialized 

 moss, but it is evident that even without developing the umbrella the cap- 

 sules are able to mature their spores, The article is illustrated by a series 

 of plates which are most interesting. 



The history of the Splachnums is equally interesting. The first refer- 

 ence to them occurs in a small vellum-covered volume, published in London 

 in 1695, called " Petiver's Museum, containing the first century of Rare 

 Natural Objects of Animals, Fossils and Plants."' He described Splach- 

 mnn j^iibriim a.s "Muscus Norvegicus umbraculo ruberrimo insignito. We 

 owe the discovery of this elegant plant to my friend Mr. Richard Wheeler, 

 who gathered it near Portsground, in Norway, and for its singularity and 

 likeness I think it may not very improperly be called his Norway Bongrace 

 Moss. This quaint little volume is filled with pictures of various curious 

 natural objects sent to Pettiver for his museum. Both Ray and Dillenius 

 had descriptions and plates of S. riibricm, specimens of which had also been 

 sent from the Lena River. But Linnaeus was the first to give them the 

 names which they now bear. In a series of essays written by his pupils in 

 1752, one is devoted entirely to three species of Splachniim, S. hiteum, S. 

 rubrmn and 5. ampiillaceiim. S. luteiini was called the "Swedish Parasol 

 Moss." Linnseus took up the names in his Species Plantarum. The apo- 

 physis in S. rubrum is the same shape and size as in vS. liiteiiin, but in 5. 

 ainpullaceum it is shaped like an urn, and is much larger than the spore- 

 case. 



None of the species of this family are common in North America. 



Splachniim luteinn has been collected in New Brunswick by Fowler, and 

 5. rubrum was collected on the shores of a small pond in the Adirondacks 

 by Prof. Peck. One curious peculiarity of them all. is that they grow on the 

 excrement of animals, on cow and horse dung, and on the decomposing skele- 

 tons of animals, such as mice, hedgehogs, etc. Tetrapiodon mnioides has 



