208 



The ]N aturaltst. 



The moss referred to in the above extract as Hypnum aduncum. is 

 our R. exannulatam, and is mentioned by Mr. Wilson in a communica- 

 tion which appeared in the Naturalid (1st series, vol. ii.) where he 

 enters into a critical examination of Eppyium aduncum and its allies. 



This moss," he says (referring to Hypnum exannulatum) " described in 

 * Bryologia Britannica ' under the name of Hypnum aduncum, was first 

 found with ripe fruit on Baguiey Moor, in April, 1831, and was then, 

 and at the time of the publication of ' Bryologia Britannica,' the only 

 known moss which could be well referred to Hedwig's Hypnum 

 aduncum., and there was the great authority of Dr. Swartz for so naming 

 it.'' Mr. Wilson shows that the H. admmtm of Hedwig is identical 

 with H. vei'nicosum, Lindberg (= H. aduncum var. tenup, Bry. Eur.), 

 the H. aduncum of Bry. Eur. being our ti. TFilsoni, formerly found 

 fruiting at Ainsdale. With regard to H. exannulatum, Mr. Wilson 

 says in the article cited : "In Bry. Eur. the leaves are unhappily 

 described as ' Jiaud pUcata,^ for if not actually plicate as in //, uncinatum 

 ■ — with which it is contrasted, they are remarkably striate, and by this 

 obvious mark the moss may always in the field be easily recognised." 



On the 30th January, 1833, Mr. Wilson again visited Ringway, and 

 procured a good stock of Hypnum glareomm, with perfect fruit. He 

 also gathered TortuLa rigida and Jungermannia turbinafa. Neckera 

 pumila in Cotteral Clough, was " over-ripe and very scarce." It is not 

 clear what species is referred to in the following memorandum which 

 Mr. Wilson made in his journal : — " At the fork in Cotteral Clough 

 grows a hypnum, now with young setee, which 1 take to be Hypnwi 

 fluviatile, Brid., having the leaves entire. It may prove to be a variety 

 of H. fdicinumy Again, on Feb, 6 Mr. Wilson rode to Cotteral 

 Clough for more Hypnum glareomm, and took the opportunity of 

 exploring other woods up the BoUin. He writes : " Observed as I 

 went along Baltonia \^Qrypli(Ba'\ heteromalla, Anomodon viticulosum, 

 Hypnum \_Leskea~\ sericeum, Lcucodon sciuroides, and Orthotrichum 

 pulchellum. Hypnum salebro-mm is fertile at the entrance of the lane 

 near the bottom of Cotteral Clough, on the west side near the gate, 

 under a tree, and likely to be abundant. A large dense patch of the 

 barren plant is just by, nearer to the gate : this I partly transplanted 

 to the fertile spot." 



Mr. Wilson's first visit to Mere Mere was made, I believe, in 1832. 

 He went, apparently for its rare phssnogamous plants, Limosdla aquatica 

 and Elaiine hexandra — which, together with Scirpus acicularis, he 

 records having then gathered — but no mention is made of the 

 bryological rarities which have contributed to make the place famous. 



