( i8 3 ) 
expeft fbon to fee a greater progrefs made in 
the knowledge of this difficult tribe of plants* 
than fome years ago it appeared probable 
would ever be attained ; but as thefe refearches 
were made by the affiftance of the molt 
powerful magnifiers, and with every advan- 
tage that could be procured, much informa- 
tion will not be gained from his plates of the 
natural plant. From Mr. Curtis's defcrip- 
tions and figures the fpecies delineated by 
him may be clearly under flood. He recom- 
mends to the notice of young ftudents the 
bry'um undulatum, and curled bryum, as their 
parts of fructification are large and diftindt, 
Mr. Curtis does not pretend to decide the 
queftion, whether the powder, from what is 
called the capfule, is anther- duft, or feed, 
Hedwig afferts, that thefe capfules are true 
feed-veflfels, and tells us, he fowed them, and 
repeatedly procured from them a crop of young 
plants, fimilar in all refpe&s to the parent plant. 
Dillenius fowed thefe cones frequently, but 
without fuccefs : it is probable that the fili- 
ation of the ftamens and piftils under one or 
diftind: covers may have occafioned fuch dif- 
ferent refults from the experiments of thefe 
eminent botanifts. In the curled bryum, 
the 
