THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
OF THE 
Moss Exchange Club, 
1896 . 
The number of contributors to the Club was 21. The 
specimens sent in numbered 2077, and we have reason to con¬ 
gratulate ourselves on the start which has been made. The Club 
is in no way responsible this year for the correct naming of the 
plants sent out, which rests solely on the authority of the contri¬ 
butors. Next year it is hoped to make provision for the naming 
of critical or doubtful species by referees, and also to name plants 
for beginners. It is disappointing to find that only a few Hepatica. 
were sent in, but the want of a Catalogue may perhaps account 
for it. 
Rev. C. H. Binstead sent a large packet of his duplicates for 
the club, which I was able to divide up into no less than 544 
packets. They were all valuable, well prepared, and many very 
rare species, and the thanks of the Club are due to him for a gift 
which we can scarcely hope to repay. I am glad to hear we were 
able to send him in return a few he had not got before. Our 
thanks are also due to Rev. A. Ley, who sent some duplicates 
in the same package. 
Mr. Binstead sent some Norwegian gatherings. The question 
has been asked, “ Can we exchange foreign and continental 
mosses ?” and I have had several applications from abroad on this 
subject. Perhaps in time a separate section may be arranged for 
this purpose, and a foreign secretary appointed, but at present we 
must confine ourselves to British plants ; at the same time it is 
quite allowable, and will no doubt prove acceptable if, as was the 
case this year, a few plants are contributed from foreign or con¬ 
tinental localities, which are at the same time natives of the British 
isles. 
I wish now to direct attention to several matters in the 
working of the Club wherein there is room for improvement, and 
the distributor’s task may be lightened. 
Rule VI. was drawn up with the object of effecting some 
uniformity in the packeting of specimens. Packets made of stiff 
note paper are not safe, as minute species may be jerked off and 
lost, nor is it well to fold packets so that they open at the back 
instead of the front, but the most unsafe and inconvenient packets 
