— 56— 
and I find that it is more difficult to distinguish between forma />/ti 7 nos a and 
var, pluintilosum than between the species and forma pluinosa, at least if 
one accepts under the designation phimulosuin only specimens with leaves 
little or not folded and this variety finds itself more limited and becomes 
nearly it seems to me, var. contiguum. 
4. — Ninety-nine specimens belong to this group representing the var. 
subjulaceum. I have brought them under the var. orthothecioides but they 
are not identical with the type of Lindberg, being less robust, their leaves 
are more falciform, and form a hook at the end of the branches. To this 
last statement M. Cardot seems to take exception, writing in pencil “ Pas la 
form orthothecioides." He further remarks “The extreme forms of var. 
plumnlostim with leaves not plicate with stems radiculose.=Z(4’/;n/w Moseri 
Kindb. and Hypnum contiguum Nees.” 
Winona, Minnesota. 
Note. — The Department of Botany, under whose auspices the explora- 
tion here recorded was made, has for five years failed to publish this report, 
But even though some of the value is lost by delay, it is here published at 
the first opportunity afforded the writer. 
ON COLLECTING MOSSES. 
R. S, Williams. 
[Read at the Meeting of the Sullivant Moss Society at Boston, Dec. 30, 1909.] 
In working over a number of moss genera the past season and exam- 
ining rather carefully all the specimens contained in the herbarium of 
the New York Botanical Garden, as well as in some private collections, it 
was rather surprising to find how few really first-class plants had been 
obtained of many even common species. It seems to be the ordinary 
impression that mosses are among the easiest of plants to collect, and in 
certain respects this is true, for they are mostly within reach, can be removed 
without difficulty from the substrata and take up but little room or weight; 
moreover they can be collected without the necessity of carrying a heavy 
press into the field, and if a little dry at night, can be softened up and made 
into about as fine specimens as if laid out and pressed immediately. Also 
if one wishes to pad out the numbers of their collection there is perhaps no 
easier way than to grab at everything in sight that looks a bit mossy, attach 
numbers and give to some one else to name (this last being very important); 
