THE ANKER VALLEY AND ITS FLORA. 
91 
there are 180 species occurring in the Blythe basin that have 
not as yet been given for that of the Anker, and thirty-nine 
species occurring in the Anker not yet found in the Blythe. 
The moss flora of the Anker basin is not so rich as I had 
anticipated, my total records being 162 species representing 
forty-four genera. Still there are many noticeable mosses in 
the district ; such for instance as Scleropodium caspitosum, 
Tortula latifolia, and Leskea polycarpa , which are usually rare 
in North Warwickshire, but are abundant in the Anker 
district, more especially near Sliuttington and Mancetter. 
Bryum murale and Encalypta streptocarpa occur in solitary 
stations near Caldecote. Didymodon flexifalius, which I had not 
previously seen in the county, occurs in abundance on a hilly 
heath near Atherstone, and I), luridus, also new as a record 
for the county, near Weddington and Grendon. Fontinalis 
antipyretica was abundantly in fruit in a most unlikely-looking 
pool near Weddington Wood. This is usually a local moss 
with us, and had not before been found in the fruiting 
condition in Warwickshire. The influence of the smoky 
atmosphere seems to make itself manifest in the absence or 
rarity of tree-loving mosses, such as the Orthotrichums, so 
that one has to walk a distance from the coal district before 
one spots any trees having such tenants ; near Wolvey, how¬ 
ever, Orthotrichum a [fine and 0. diaphanum occur in slight 
quantity; 0. Lyellii, Leucodon sciuroides, Zyyodon viridissimus, 
and Tortula Icecipila very rarely, and in single stations near 
Wolvey and Anker Bridge. Dicranum montanum and Ulota 
intermedia, in Bentley Park ; and on marly banks in Bentley 
Park Dicranum majus, in the barren condition. Stone walls 
and fences are abundant in the district, but in the smoky parts 
the mosses are poor and depauperised examples, usually 
blackened tufts of Grimmia pulvinata, Tortula muralis, Bryum 
ciespiticium, and the ubiquitous Ceratodon purpureas. Marsh- 
loving mosses, such as the Sphaynums, Aulacomnion, and the 
aduncum group of Hypnum are poorly represented. Sphagnum 
Jbnhriatum, S. cyrnbifoliiim, S. auriculatum, and S. contortion 
are thinly represented in Bentley Park and on Baddesley 
Common ; S. acutifolium and S. squarrosum , in a pool near 
Seckington ; Aulacomnion jxdiuttre and Hypnum aduncum on 
Baddesley Common; but Leucobryum gl.aucum , which I 
expected to find abundantly, is apparently absent from the 
district. The most noticeable of the mosses from this district, 
however, is Eurhynchium Teesdalii, of which I found a solitary 
patch on a stone in the little stream that runs through 
Bentley Park. The most prevalent moss of all the watery 
situations is Hypnum cuspidatum, which seems to prevail 
everywhere, and would, I believe, grow in Styx itself. 
