HINTS ON THE COLLECTING, &o., &c., OF MOSSES. 
There is always an advantage in a young student adopting and adhering to one branch of study, and it 
shall be my endeavour to place before him, to the best of my ability, the way of collecting, preserving, and 
arranging Mosses. In this branch of Botany there are one or two advantages over the study of Phanerogamia, 
or flowering plants, especially to those whose time is greatly occupied during the day. 
Firstly. — Every month produces some species which may be gathered. Secondly. — The specimens 
collected may be kept for months, nay, even for years, and after having been dried will immediately revive on 
being soaked in water in a small saucer for a short time. 
Much has been written on the subject of collecting, preserving, &c., of plants generally, and every 
Botanist has his own favourite method. I would, however, briefly state my own experience, and, for the 
convenience of the student, the subject may be divided into the following sections : — 
1st. — -Habitats. 
2nd. — -The apparatus necessary for collecting, observation, preserving, &c. 
3rd. — The season for collecting. 
4th. — How to set to work at examination, dissecting, mounting, &c. 
I. Habitats. — This family of plants is to be found everywhere. On old walls', the roofs of tiled and 
thatched buildings, on our garden walks, by the road side, on hedge banks, on our Downs and commons, in 
fallow fields, on loose chalk stones and sandstones, on the roots, trunks and branches of trees, on low shrubs, 
on the rugged faces of chalk cliffs, on the shingle by the sea shore, in streams and ditches, and in many a 
place where the sun hardly or never penetrates. In bogs, on the mountain top where scarcely any other i^lant 
can find sustenance, many rare and beautiful species are met with. In fact we may almost call the Moss the 
pioneer of vegetable life. There are few spots which will not afford an ample supply of specimens for hours of 
study, from the sea shore to the mountain ridge. 
II. The Apparatus Necessary for Collecting, &c. — The apparatus necessary for collecting, observing, 
&c., is very simple and inexpensive. 
The only really necessary articles are : — 
1. — An old pocket knife. 
2. — An ordinary pocket lens with two or three powers. 
3. — A common satchel or small leather bag, such as can be strapped over the shoulder. 
4. — A good supply of square pieces of paper to wrap each species in (ordinary envelopes will do). 
Care should be taken to note the locality, habitat, and date on the outside, at the time each 
is collected. 
5. — A few dozens of glass slides, 3in. X lin., with some circular or square thin glass covers, and 
a small piece of cork, about 2in. square. 
6. — A pair of steel forceps ; two dissecting needles which can be made as suggested by the Rev. J. G. 
Wood : " I invariably employ common camel's hair brush handles, in which the needles can 
be readily fastened. Get a convenient handle, and wrap about a third of an inch with 
waxed thread, leaving a little of the wood projecting without any thread. Take the needle 
and break it off to a convenient length, push the point into the handle so as to make a 
hole, reverse it, and with a pair of pliers drive the needle well into the handle. Now trim 
the wood to a point." E,ub the needle on a hone, and an edge is soon obtained. 
After having gathered the specimen, the earth and moisture should be as much as "possible carefully 
removed, on the spot. On reaching home, the packets should be opened and laid out to dry, and if the plants 
