Reports of Societies. 



29 



that another rare moss — Mnium orthorrhynchum — was found in Litton- 

 dale, with male flowers only, though Nowell was credited with the dis- 

 covery of fruiting specimens. Mnium serratura was plentiful and in fine 

 condition ; also the rare Seligeria tristicha, but mostly barren ; excellent 

 specimens of Orthotrichum rivulare ; and a curious variety {irdifera) of 

 Encalypta vulgaris were the most important things gathered during the 

 excursion. The president further announced the receipt of Tortula 

 Hihernica Mitt. — a rare moss, whose only habitat is Cromagloun, near 

 Killarney. Trichostomum glaucescens, from Clova ; Mnium stellare (with 

 male inflorescence) and Tortula vinealis, in fruit, from Derbyshire ; Ehyn- 

 chostegium depressum (fr.), from near Bolton ; and Hypnum chrysophyl- 

 lum, from near Ashton-under-Lyne, were also exhibited by the president. 

 Mr. W. H. Pearson (vice-jDresident), who was unable to be presern;, for- 

 warded a specimen of drawings of a rare species of hepaticEe collected on 

 the 28th April by himself and Mr. Wild in the jjass of Llanberis. The 

 species, Mr. Pearson wrote, had been collected previously in Scotland by 

 Messrs. Black, Croall, Hunt, and Sim. He intimated that it would be 

 given in the second fasciculus of the Hepaticse Britannicee Exsiccatse " 

 (along with the variety laxior), which is to be issued this month. The 

 other specimens exhibited at the meeting comprised Bryum Marrattii, 

 by Mr. Holt (found in considerable abundance this year at Southport) ; 

 Leskea suhrufa, from Miller's Dale, by Mr. Wild ; also Catoscopium nigri- 

 tum and Cynodontium Bruntoni, by Mr. Cash — the former from South- 

 port and the latter from near Matlock. The Catoscopium, with very 

 young setae, was found on the 14th June growing in moist ground among 

 the sandhills at Birkdale. A single tuft was removed, and the capsules 

 developed beautifully in cultivation. 



Meetij^g, Aug. 11th, the president in the chair. — A number of inter- 

 esting cryptogamic plants were placed on the table for inspection. Mr. T. 

 Brittain gave an account of Verrucaria nitida, a lichen which is found 

 on the bark of trees, especially on that of the ash. Its habits and 

 stmcture were described, the latter being shown by means of the micro- 

 scope. The mosses exhibited by the president were Hedivigia striata, 

 Wils, from Grasmere, which he, along with Mr. Fergusson, proposed to 

 restore again to the rank of a distinct species ; Scleropodium ccespitosum 

 from Miller's Dale ; and Rhabdoweissia fugax and R. denticidata from 

 Cader Idris ; also Gymnostomum commutatum, Mitt., gathered by Dr. 

 Wood on moist rocks at Trefriw, N. Wales, June, 1861. Mr. Holt 

 showed Amblystegium irrignnm from Mellor, in fruit. A few lichens and 

 mosses from Connemara were shown by Mr. Hyde. Ivlr. W. H. Pearson 

 exhibited Cephalozia Schlmezeri from Barton Moss — a new locality for this 

 plant, — and promised to read a paper upon it at the next meeting. 



YoKKSHiRE Naturalists' Union, — Hebden Bridge, July 19th, 1879. 

 Report of the Geological Section. — In the absence of Prof. Green, the 

 president of the Section, Dr. W. Alexander, J. P., of Halifax, was elected 



