BUYOLOGICAL NOTES.— NEW BKITISH SPECIES. 



By Rev. J. Fergusson. 



Some time ago I received from Mr. Wkitehead, of Dukinfield, a Bryum 

 found by him on loose earth among limestone rocks, near Litton, in 

 June last. The quantity gathered was very small, as is almost 

 invariably the case with a species picked up for the first time by a 

 collector, or unknown as a native of the district or county in which he 

 resides. Moreover the capsules, though perfectly formed, had not 

 reached the very point of ripeness which is so desirable when careful 

 dissections of the Gladodium group of Bryum have to be made. The 

 aspect of the plant is peculiar ; the seta in any case is not more than 

 seven lines in length, is suddenly bent downward at the summit, and 

 then curves inward, so that the capsule lies on its back looking upward. 

 Any one who turns to the figure of the left-hand capsule of Zieria 

 demissa as given in the " Bryotogia Britannica,^' and supposes the loop 

 formed by the seta and capsule to be constricted to half its size and 

 the capsule raised proportionally, will have a very fair idea of the 

 appearance of the seta and capsule of Mr. Whitehead's plant. Tufts 

 of other Brya, such as B. inclinatum^ occasionally present a capsule 

 here and there turned in the same manner, but with them this is the 

 rather rare exception. Here it is the rule without any exception. At 

 first I supposed the plant to be a new species, and I still hold this 

 supposition to be worthy of careful consideration, though I now lean 

 more to the opinion that the plant may finally have to subside into a 

 variety of B. arciicum. It seems to difi'er from B. arciicum in having 

 the leaves twisted when dry, in their narrower border, in the rather 

 bladdery capsule not at all constricted below the mouth, w^hich is 

 extremely small and not oblique, in the short seta, in the smaller, and, 

 so far as I can judge, smooth spores. These are all, it must be 

 confessed, fine distinctions — and distinctions which might not prove 

 constant if more numerous specimens were subjected to examination. 

 Until these are secured it may suffice to call special attention to the 

 plant, a description of which is appended to these notes, under the 

 name of Bryum rufum. 



During the past year I have been favoured by Professor Barker 

 with a fine collection of Grimmicd gathered by him during various 

 rambles through Scotland, England, and Ireland. In this collection 

 there are some specifes of great rarity, and one with the first fruit 

 which has been observed in this country. I was greatly delighted to 

 N. S., Vol. v., Jan., 1880. 



