^1905. 'DKVins.— Mosses from Co. Down. 



differ as to the true place of this well-marked "mbss,\sonie 

 claiming that it ought to be ranked as a distinct species : and, 

 indeed, Dr. Braithwaite, in British Moss Flo^a, assigns it that 

 .position under the name of Amblystegium fallax Milde. It is 

 described as aquatic, and as occurring in calcareous springs. 

 The locality at Ringfad Point is an escarpment of Boulder- 

 clay, damp by water oozing from a superincumbent deep bed 

 of gravelly drift. There is evidence that the water contains 

 lime in solution, thus supplying a suitable matrix. There 

 seems to be no instance at this part of the coast, of the occur- 

 rence of limestone at the surface. But, whether derived from 

 lime contained in the drift, as has been indicated by Mr. 

 Praeger^ or from "calcareous bands that occur interbedded 

 among the Silurian rocks of that locality " as maintained by 

 Mr. William Gray, there are considerable calcareous deposits. 

 Thus, on the Ardtole side of Ardglass Bay, for example, there 

 are two caverns, neither of any great extent, in and around 

 which are masses of this deposit. On this several lime-loving 

 mosses luxuriate, notably Weisia verticillata and Hyp7uim 

 co7}imuiaiumy thickly encrusted, as is usual, much of the former 

 species being so entirely embedded that its presence, in that 

 case, is denoted only by the inequality of the surface. 



Polytrlchum gracile, Dicks.— Heathy places near Gilford and 

 Ballyronej'. 



P. formosum, Hedw Frequent at roots of trees about Lenaderg. A 



common moss in England, for which Moore, in 1873, could give only 

 two Irish stations. Since then it has been found by Revs. Waddell 

 and Lett in this county. No doubt it has often been confused with 

 P. comnnme, and is probably not uncommon throughout Ireland. 



P. commune, Linn., var. minus, Weis, including var. fasti^mium^ 

 Lyle. — On peaty ground at the bog near Gilford. So far as was ob- 

 served only the barren stems are fastigiately branched, the fertile 

 alone being simple or nearly so, both growing together in the same 

 tufts. I do not know that this moss has been previously recognised 

 in Ireland. 



Bllndla acuta, B. & S. — Descends nearly to sea level, in company with 

 Hyocomiitm fIagenare/\nih.Q. Shimna River, near Newcastle. A slender 

 ... state, with leaf-form very near that of var. trichodes. , 



* Irish Nat., xi., 207. 1902. 



