THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 113 
by vertical crrowth. We have often been perplexed by 
these. Indeed, anyone who takes up the study of mosses 
must be prepared for hard work; every step in advanee, 
however, is delightful, so exciuisite are the objects exam- 
Why should these almost invisible i)arts be so mar- 
vclously fashioned? The little scales on a butter-fly's wing- 
any design of man. The lines on the last are so mi!uite as 
to recpiire the highest pn\\i.r of our best microscopes to 
resolve. Why this excjuisite finish?^ We hnd it through- 
devoid ofbeautv-asif, indeed, bcnutv was the kev note 
to the whole grertt mystery. 
Resides the fruit of mosses so diverse, the leaves are 
cliarming; tliev .'ire extremelv varied in outline and mar- 
gin nf)w broad Jind pellucid; again narrow, curve pointed, 
serrate and of finer texture. The colors, too, are far from 
uniform; moreover, the pattern oftheveining (arcolntion) 
i< distinctive, at least ot genera. Like ferns, mosses lead 
their votaries to most entrancing localities. The very 
when moistened, will carr>- one in imagination to shaded 
riven and split by the wild contests of time and storm. At 
any season there are some mosses in condition to studv, 
hence they offer numerous: ir,'iction< to the b .taui^t. 
Ourconntrv has p'-..i:i^^l .o ne v r^- .b<:iM -li^jj i 
students of mo^^es. amo-.i- th s • Dr. \V. L." SmMiv t ii •>.-.:v, 
pied a prominent place. Then there arc tlie -rc.tt namo. 
of thosecmly lately amon-u>-Tucker:nan. Jrrn.-s, .\ustin. 
Prof. C. R. Barnes of Chica-o. Mrs Ewz.ibeth (;. Britton 
of New York, Prot.J. Franklin Collins of Brown Tniver- 
sity and Dr. Kenncily of Milton Alass. Thj arm or 
woman who kno ws mosses mavbe relied upon to possess 
a vast deal of other useful botanical knowledge. 
