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In his Vorbemerkungen (The Introduction), the author gives an interest- 
ing history of the botanical explorations of the far northerly region covered 
by his work with special reference to the bryological journeys in the nine- 
teenth century, Martin Vahl and Bishop Gunnerus being the only collectors 
dating back into the preceding century. Even up to 1880 comparatively 
little had been done in giving a comprehensive view of the mossflora of this 
region, practically all lying in the arctic circle. Wahlenberg’s “ Flora Lap- 
ponica” appearing in 1812, mentions one hundred and forty-seven species of 
Norwegian mosses. Sommerfelt's “ Supplementum Florae Lapponicae,” 
1826, adds forty-two species to Wahlenberg’s list. Then up to 1870 there 
was little active exploration, when interest was rekindled by the journeys of 
P. G. Lorentz, J. E. Zetterstedt, Berggren, A. Blytt, and Arnell and Jor- 
gensen. Among the other explorers of the region up to the present time the 
author^ mentions Angstroem, C. Hartman, Huebener, Parry, J. W. Zetter- 
stett — names which will ever be interesting to students of arctic mosses. 
In the present work the author has set for himself the task of reporting 
on the collections made principally by Arnell, Fridtz, Kaalaas, Kaurin, Ryan 
and himself in the years 1886-1897. The six or seven years spent on these 
voluminous collections has resulted in the reporting of six hundred and fif- 
ty nine species and varieties, comprising four hundred and thirty-two Acro- 
carpi, one hundred and seventy-nine Pleurocarpi, thirteen species of 
Andreaea and thirty-five of Sphagnum. In this large aggregate of species 
the author points out that the pygmies of the moss world, the minute 
ephemeral species like those of Archidium, Acaulon, etc., are almost entirely 
missing, showing the incapacity of these minute plants to struggle against 
the odds of an arctic climate. 
This report includes many critical notes on the more difficult genera, 
noteworthy among which is Orthotrichum, and especially Bryum. In the lat- 
ter genus he has enumerated no fewer than one hundred and five species and 
varieties, three of which are new. In all, fifty-one new species and varieties 
are described. From Part III we mention Timmia elegans Hag., Poly- 
trichum incans tans Hag., Orthothecium strictum Lor., Brachythecium salt- 
ense Hag.. A mb lystegi urn versirete Hag., Hypnum stragulum , Hag., and 
Hypnum fastigiatuin mitodes Hag. Seven North American species were 
found to reach over into this arctic region of Norway, namely: Orthotrichum. 
Groenlandicum , Bryum foveolatum , B. polar e, B. crispulum, Pogonatum 
dentatum , Pseudoleskea denudata Holzingeri , Hypnum Berggrenii. 
Three had been known only from Spitzbergen, viz: Trichodon oblongiis, 
Bryum globosum , B. teres. Fifteen other species new to this territory were 
previously known from other parts of Europe. 
Both by reason of the critical spirit of the work and of the position of the 
area covered in the report, the author has done a valuable service not only to 
Scandinavian Bryology in the narrower sense, but in a wider sense to the 
Arctic Bryology of North America and Northern Asia. 
For Review of Parts I and II see Bryologist, 5:1902. pp. 44. 45. 
Winona, Minn. 
