OF CURIOSlTt. 179 
foots and keep them from freezing *, and gar- 
deners gather mojfes in the autumn, in order to 
preferve their plants from the froft ; they are 
gathered by the birds to build their nefts $ 
they grow in the moll barren foil ; by degrees 
they rot towards, the bottom* and thus lay a 
foundation for fertility. 
The bryum hypnoides covers the rocks in the 
coldeft mountains. 
The mnium hygrometricum fhews the drinefs* 
and moidure of the atmofphere. 
Some kinds of brya cover the mountains, 
others the marlhes, fome are ufefull in moid 
meadow ground, fome fpread over the naked 
fields, fome are found upon (tones, and rocks, 
others on trunks of trees ; and all of them bear 
the mod fevere winter, when the generality of 
other plants grow fickly* 
§• 7 * 
As to the lichens or liverworts , they are not 
of lefs ufe for many of them afford a beauti- 
full dye. e g. the roccella yields a mod valu- 
able red color, Aflr. Soc. reg. Scien. 1742. p 0 
2 1 . to which purpofe the lichen tartareus ferves 
as a fucceda'neurm The lichenes ftygius , cnu~ 
phalodes , &c, afford alfo a ted dye, and the 
N 2 lichenes 
