68 



The Naturalist. 



honours ever paid to a scientific man. It is admirably expressed, 

 and the engrossing seems to me an exquisite work of art. I fear 

 that I by no means deserve all that is said of me in the address ; but 

 it shows the great kindness and sympathy of the senders. Pray 

 accept my best thanks for all the kind interest which you have 

 shewn in the affair, and believe me, dear sir, yours faithfully, 

 Charles Darwin." 



ORTHOBONTIUM GRACILE. 

 By J. Cash. 



The discrepancy between Wilson's figure and the description of the 

 peristome of this moss in the " Bryologia Britannica,' is certainly 

 curious, and it were much to be desired that wa had some means of 

 explaining it. The species was unknown until, on the 25th March, 

 1833, Mr. Wilson discovered it at Helsby, Cheshire ; and, as appears 

 by his journal of that period, he devoted " nearly a whole day " (29th 

 March) to making a drawing of it. It is therefore certain that, so far 

 as this drawing is concerned, no inaccuracy can have crept in from 

 any want of care or pains bestowed upon the subject. I happen to 

 possess several tufts which were gathered by Afr. Wilson at the time 

 named. The packet is labelled, in his own writing, as follows : — 



" Bryum gracile (Wilson in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2835.) Orthodon- 

 tium lineare, Schwaeg. Near Warrington, March, 1833. On sand- 

 stone rocks. W. Wilson." 



The condition of these specimens indicates that they must have 

 been gathered when the fructification had reached maturity. Most of 

 the lids are fallen ; in some cases they still adhere to the perfect 

 capsule ; in a few, the lids, though adhering, are partially lifted ; and 

 in one, at least, there is a calyptra in situ. I sacrificed several cap- 

 sules — one of which was just ripe, and full of spores — in order to 

 elucidate the point which has been raised, namely, as to the 

 comparative length of the internal processes of the peristome. 

 These processes I found in most instances fragmentary, as may be 

 imagined in specimens nearly half a century old, but in one or two of 

 the capsules they were still perfect, and the result of my examination 

 was to confirm the accuracy of the figure in Bry. Brit. The perfect 

 cilia are unquestionably equal in length to the outer teeth of the 

 peristome. 



