THE GENEKA OF MOSSES. 
455 
hope of forming genera of the Spladmoidew on characters 
thus derived. 
From the remarks we have brought forward, it will be 
readily perceived that we can scarcely coincide with Mr 
Brown in his views regarding *S'. WormsMoIdii. At first 
sight it bears a strong resemblance to ♦S'. sphcericum, so 
strong, indeed, that the indifferent, tliough original and 
authentic, specimens we received of the " Flora Danica" 
plant, we were at first tempted to consider as a mere va^ 
riety of that species. Those brought home by Captain 
Pakr Y proved them to be sufficiently distinct, the principal 
difference, however, seeming still to reside in the peristome. 
The fruit-stalk of S. WormsMoIdii is certainly remarkably 
vasculose and succulent ; but we have a very near approxi- 
mation to the same structure in S, splicer icum^ especially 
in that variety of it which has been called gracile. It is 
also seen in a somewhat less degree in S, vasculosum. In 
regard to the peristome, we have already shown that, in 
the moist state, there is no difference in the peristomes of 
any of the plants we have here brought together. When 
dry, it is true, the 16 geminated teeth of S, WormsMoIdii 
are equidistant, though the other Splachna have them 
placed in pairs. Yet on this character Mr Brown has ob- 
served, " Transitus ab Aplodonte ad Splachnum facilis est 
per S, longicollum^ cui dentes vix manifeste per paria ap- 
proximati, qua nota differt a S. tenue valde affiiie sed 
dentibus geminatis reflexilibus instructo.^' When such in- 
termediate gradations exist, we submit, with the utmost 
deference, whether it be not desirable to keep together 
plants so intimately united by structure as well as habit. 
There is one point of difference between S. WormsMoIdii 
and other Splachna^ which we have omitted to notice. The 
columella is nearly simple, or not nearly so capitate as in 
the rest. This, however, is a subordinate distinction, and 
