28 
OBSERVATIONS ON MOSSES. 
means of the microscope possible to determine the precise day at 
which a moss begins to bloom ; I believe, however, that it will 
prove to be of such importance to learn the time pf blooming of 
different mosses in different parts of the world,* that I, nevertheless, 
dare propose observations on the blooming of mosses : but as it would 
be connected with too much labour to fix the days of blooming as 
nicely in mosses, as in phanerogams, we must perhaps in mosses be 
contented with dates that denote the day of blooming only approxi- 
matingly, which dates are, on the contrary, very easily won, as I know 
from my own experience. For getting such dates I have found it 
connected with the least labour to collect small specimina of the 
moss that I desired to examine from different parts of a year ; for 
instance, one specimen from each fortnight, and afterwards to 
examine all the collected specimina at once in the winter. It is, 
however, of course even only in the first year in which these obser- 
vations are made in a station, that it is necessary to collect 
specimina from every season, as in following years it is clear 
from the researches of preceding years about which time the bloom- 
ing begins, on which account it is then sufficient to collect 
specimina for examination only from about this time. The fructi- 
fication is, on the contrary, much better adapted to phrenological 
observations in mosses, at least in stegocarpous mosses, in which 
the time of the detachment of the lids is so easily observed, than 
in phanerogams, on which account I do not think any further 
pleading my proposing observations on this phenomenon necessary. 
Both the above-mentioned kinds of phenomena, the blooming 
and the fructification, I think, are most properly to be observed in 
mosses, as is also most commonly the case in phanerogams at their 
beginning ; this stage of formation being considered to have 
entered at the blooming, when in a species in at least two flowers 
only one or two archegonia are opened, while, on the contrary, the 
other archegonia are still closed and uncoloured, or, if archegonia 
are not accessible, when in each of at least two flowers only one or 
two antheridia are opened and uncoloured or brown, while, on the 
contrary, all the other antheridia are still closed. In determining 
the blooming-time, however, if archegonia are at hand, these ought 
in the first place to be consulted ; because we are less subjected to 
errors when determining the blooming-time of a moss according to 
archegonia than according to antheridia. Especially I dare warn 
observers of believing the blooming to have entered in a moss only 
because its antheridia may appear fully developed, if not at the 
same time any antheridium is opened, as antheridia may often ap- 
pear fully developed many months before their being opened, and 
before their antherozoids begin to swarm. The fructification I 
have, on the contrary, believed may be considered to have begun 
when in a species about 5-10 lids are in the nature (not on dried 
* In this respect I besides refer to the summons already before issued 
by E. Hoze in Revue Br'yoloyique, 1874, pag. 2-3. 
